As I write this week鈥檚 report from Ottawa, we are in the final week before the House of Commons rises for the summer break. As is typical during the final week of June, there are numerous bills and motions to be voted on.
Among these is a motion from the Official Conservative Opposition regarding electric vehicle sales in Canada.
Many Canadians may not know that the Liberal government introduced regulations requiring all new light-duty passenger vehicles sold in Canada to be zero-emissions by 2035.
What happens if you don鈥檛 want to buy or can鈥檛 afford a new electric vehicle after 2035?
This mandate would penalize automakers for selling internal combustion engines in Canada. Many consumers will still choose gas-powered vehicles鈥攅ither because EVs are more expensive or because they live in remote areas with limited charging infrastructure and need reliable transportation for work and medical appointments. According to one recent report, these penalties could increase the average vehicle purchase cost by $20,000.
It is not just the Conservatives who believe this is unfair to Canadians. A growing number of auto manufacturers including GM and Ford, who currently have operations here in Canada, are also asking the Liberal government to repeal this electric vehicle mandate.
As a result, the Conservative Official Opposition tabled a motion in the House this week, calling on the Liberal government to 鈥渋mmediately end their ban on gas-powered vehicles,鈥 which include the statement that it 鈥渨ill force Canadians to buy electric vehicles (and) drive up the cost of vehicles by $20,000.鈥
The Liberals voted against this Conservative motion and continue to defend this policy despite the opposition from manufacturers and a recent decline in electric vehicle sales.
From my own perspective I believe Canadians should have the choice to purchase the vehicle that they can afford and that can best meet their needs. Having the Liberal government dictate what you can or cannot buy sets a very dangerous precedent.
There is also the added concern that if Canadians refuse to be bullied into buying an electric vehicle and demand continues to decrease there will be more job losses in the Canadian auto sector.
The United States has taken a different approach.
Rather than attempting to ban all sales of non electric vehicles by 2035, former President Biden instead set a goal of achieving 50% electric vehicle sales by 2030. However, this goal was not legally binding and has since been rescinded.
For an automotive manufacturer already facing potential USA tariffs on vehicles built in Canada, having more restrictions such as an electric vehicle only mandate by 2035, can make Canadian automotive investment less attractive and threaten Canadian jobs and industry.
My personal fear is that previous Liberals governments have a well documented track record of not listening. A good example of this is the media sharing ban on Facebook. Liberals were warned that would happen, they ignored the warnings, and now many Canadian media organizations suffer for the Liberals arrogance.
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My question this week: Do you support repealing the Liberals electric vehicle only mandate by 2035?
I can be reached at Dan.Albas@parl.gc.ca or call toll-free 1-800-665-8711.
Dan Albas is the MP for the riding of Okanagan Lake West - South Kelowna