12-Month Lobbying Summary - In-house Organization

Subject Matters

• Agriculture
• Environment
• Science and Technology
• Taxation and Finance
• Transportation

Subject Matter Details

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• 4. Carbon Tax – The federal government has announced a forced Carbon Tax on the provinces on a minimum of $10/tonne starting in 2018 rising to $50/tonne in 2022. We have opposed this measure and are working with the provinces to ensure credit towards agriculture are achieved.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program, Regulation

• Bill C-244 - We are opposed to the Bill in its current form as it will be detrimental to the farm equipment industry. We have made submissions to the INDU Committee and Bill sponsor regarding our concerns. Right to Repair pre-consultations “fact finding” conversations with stakeholders is starting now and we will be providing comment on the Right to Repair issue. These pre-consultations are “fact finding” conversations and ISED and Agriculture is reaching out to stakeholders like us for information on Right to Repair. This initiative was announced in the 2023-24 Budget statement

Policies or Program, Regulation

• 1. Accelerating the Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) schedule of Class 10 farm equipment to 40% in the first year (from the current 30%) for investments in new agricultural equipment. • We believe that the current marketplace sees quicker turnover of equipment and that the current rate of 30% is not reflective of the useful life of the equipment. Furthermore, there have been recent initiatives in the United States that have seen rapid acceleration of their depreciation schedule. Without a similar change in Canada, our industry and consumers are put at a disadvantage.

Regulation

• 2. A thorough review of farm equipment and it’s classification for CCA rates should be undertaken. • Specifically, due to the effective life of the equipment, air seeders and corn planters should be classified as Class 10 farm equipment as opposed to the current Class 8. According to Revenue Canada, this issue has not been discussed in thirty plus years
• 5. Carbon Tax – Instead of additional taxes based on emissions, we recommend the government of Canada be proactive by enacting a program that provides financial incentives to farmer, dealers and manufacturers to retrofit older diesel engines to improve fuel efficiency and to reduce pollution. • The federal government is not acknowledging that agricultural manufacturers have heavily invested in new engine technology (Tier IV) and should provide financial incentives to purchase new technologies or financial incentives to upgrade older engines to newer technologies.
• 6. Carbon Tax - We support the expansion of our bio-fuels and ethanol industry and ask that financial incentives offered in Canada match those that are offered in the United States. • For Canada’s ethanol, bio-diesel and bio fuels industry to remain competitive in North America, our federal government must ensure that incentives offered to industry here are competitive.