The 2019 budget released by the federal government has a Windsor MP “shocked” and “appalled" related to its inclusion of an incentive for zero-emission vehicles.
Windsor West MP, Brian Masse, the auto critic for the NDP, says the $5,000 subsidy for electric battery or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles included in the Liberal government’s latest budget is “another corporate tax giveaway” that supports foreign companies and does nothing to “strengthen Canadian producers or support autoworkers.”
The new incentive is only available for vehicles with a listed retail price below $45,000.
Masse points to the Windsor-built Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid vehicles as the only Canadian-built vehicle that could be considered, but has a list price of $51,000.
“It is absolutely stunning that the Liberals are creating a subsidy that will encourage Canadians to buy foreign-built vehicles while providing no new money for the auto sector to take advantage of significant new opportunities for the Ontario-based supply chain by Fiat Chrysler’s new investment in Detroit,” Masse said in a news release.
The budget proposes to spend $300 million over three years on the green car incentive.
A program for businesses is also being offered, allowing the capital cost of eligible zero-emission vehicles to be written off up to $55,000 instead of $30,000 for gas engines.
The budget also proposes $130 million over five years to build new recharging stations.
The Trudeau government is aiming to have all vehicles sold in Canada be zero-emission by 2040 while setting a target of 10 per cent by 2025.
