Tim Perry, Sinikka Crosland, Trevor Lawson, Ewa Demianowicz and Nicholas Dodman made statements and answered questions.

On motion of Yves Perron, it was agreed, — That considering the lack of response from Loblaws and Walmart to our last communication, and considering that the negotiated adoption of the Code of Conduct seems seriously compromised, the committee invite the members of the provisional Board of Directors of the Code of Conduct, as well as the members of the Steering Committee for the negotiations on the Code of Conduct, to testify before the committee on the status of the situation in order to inform us accurately on the situation and to better orient the committee's potential recommendations to the government.

At 12:07 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 12:11 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Don Anderson, Barbara Cartwright, Brittany Semeniuk and Erin Martellani made statements and answered questions.

John Barlow gave notice of the following motion:

Given that:

a) The committee received numerous letters from agricultural stakeholders regarding their opposition to the carbon tax hike on April 1, including from the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities;

b) Seven Provincial Premiers and 70% of Canadians opposed the government’s 23% carbon tax hike on April 1;

c) The Premiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have issued public letters calling on the government to provide a carbon tax carve out for farmers and pass Bill C-234 in its original form;

d) The carbon tax currently costs greenhouse operators in Canada $22 million a year and will pay between $82 million and $100 million by 2030 when the carbon tax quadruples;

e) 44% of fresh fruit and vegetables growers are already selling at a loss and 77% can’t offset production cost increase;

f) The carbon tax increase this year will cost mushroom farms $7.4 million, by 2030 it’ll be more than $16 million;

g) A sample of 50 farm operations across Canada paid a total of $329,644 in carbon taxes in one month last year, with the increase this year it’ll cost those farms $431,544 and nearly triple over the next seven years to $893,944;

h) The Parliamentary Budget Officer has stated the carbon tax will cost farmers nearly $1 billion by 2030;

i) The 2023 Food Price Report estimates that the carbon tax will cost a typical 5,000-acre farm $150,000 by 2030; and

j) The Food Professor recommends pausing the carbon tax for the entire food supply chain.

I ask for unanimous consent for the committee to report the letters it received from agriculture stakeholders, the Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities regarding the 23% carbon tax increase on April 1, to the House for its consideration in debate on Bill C-234.

At 12:57 p.m., John Barlow took the Chair.