30 THE MULTI-PARTYsupport for Bill C-234, passed last March in the House of Commons, was a testament to all of the hard work that has raised awareness about the need to exempt grain drying from the carbon tax: the bill was supported by the Conservative, NDP, and Bloc Quebecois caucuses, Elizabeth May from the Green party, and a couple of rural Liberal MPs. When passed, Bill C-234, the private member’s bill, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, sponsored by HuronBruce MP Ben Lobb, will extend the exemption of the federal pollution price (carbon tax) on natural gas and propane for on-farm use to include grain dryers and barn heating. The victory in the House of Commons was only one step in the process for Bill C-234 to become law; the bill now must pass through the Senate with a majority vote and achieve Royal Assent. GRAIN DRYING EXEMPTION SOUGHT An exemption for grain farming from the carbon tax is a priority for Grain Farmers of Ontario. And all hands are on deck to see Bill C-234 become law. On-farm fuel used to power trucks and tractors is already exempt from the government’s carbon tax legislation. Farm groups from across Canada have been united in their effort to include grain drying on the exemption list. Work towards achieving an exemption has taken place over the last five years. “When innovative ways to dry grain are developed, I can guarantee farmers will be quick to adopt them,” wrote Brendan Byrne, chair of Grain Farmers of Ontario, in a letter to senators. “Farm fuels are a major cost, and all farmers want to manage costs. But until alternative solutions are available, taxing the fuels used for grain drying only penalizes farmers and unnecessarily increases the cost of food production.” In 2021, when a federal rebate was set to reimburse farmers for costs associated with on-farm natural gas and propane, the Government of Canada formally acknowledged that there are no substitutes for grain drying ready in the marketplace and that farmers rely on natural gas and propane. This acknowledgement was welcomed, but the fact that the rebate only covered a small portion of what was paid by a grain farmer on carbon tax was not. The carbon price is set to increase yearly until it hits $170 a tonne in 2030 — costing the Ontario grain farmer $35 - 46 an acre for the carbon tax on top of the fuel price. If the finance minister provides a rebate at a similar rate in the future, grain farmers will get less than 20 per cent of the carbon tax they paid from the federal tax rebate. OFF TO THE SENATE Following standard parliamentary procedure, the Senate must vote on the bill before it becomes law. At the time of writing, the Agriculture and Forestry Committee was studying the bill, which is a priority for Senator Rob Black of Ontario, chair of the committee. “At the committee stage, the bill is examined in detail,” says Black. “The committee hears from witnesses about the bills, the pros and the cons.” “Farming is a profession full of uncertainties — whether it’s unpredictable weather patterns or fluctuating market prices,” said Senator David Wells, sponsor of the bill, at a September 21 committee hearing. “[The carbon tax] places a disproportionate burden Bill C-234 SENATE REVIEWS GRAIN DRYING BILL Debra Conlon SENATOR ROB BLACK. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SENATE OF CANADA. on our farmers, our ranchers, and our growers. Without commercially or industrially viable energy alternatives, they face a dual dilemma. On one side, they are committed to sustainable practices, and on the other, they are financially penalized for using the only tools currently available to them.” Almost 25 witnesses presented to senators on the bill at committee, some in favour of the bill and some against it, as well as several witnesses from different departments within the government. Two expert witnesses on grain drying testified on the last day of committee hearings. “To my knowledge, and we reviewed most of the drying systems, at least in North America or Europe, I don’t think we are going to see anything new, disruptive or Advocacy
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