Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Legislation is coming next spring to rethink BC’s effort to drive a major consumer switch to zero-emission vehicles. The stringent targets that were set several years ago by both federal and provincial governments are now considered unreachable, due to changes in the market and dramatic U.S. policy shifts that have created huge instability. Energy Minister Adrian Dix signalled Tuesday he will introduce a bill in the spring to adjust BC’s strategy and align it with federal policy, which is also in the midst of a rethink ... CLICK HERE for the full story

British Columbia’s electric vehicle sales mandates were created with good intentions, but the collision with reality is now obvious. Although we are still in 2025, the 26 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales mandate is already hitting our dealerships. That’s because it applies to the 2026 model year, and many of those models are starting to arrive across the province now. While 26 percent sounds moderate compared to 90 per cent by 2030 or 100 per cent by 2035, as also required by BC law, the facts on the ground are grim 

The BC government is considering scaling back its zero-emission vehicle sales targets amid a decline in EV sales and ongoing consumer concerns about affordability and gaps in charging infrastructure. ... a recent leveling off in adoption of electric vehicles by British Columbians had made it “challenging” for the province to meet its legislated target that 90 per cent of new vehicles be zero-emission by 2030 ... CLICK HERE for the full story

... In April 2022, 73 per cent of the province’s residents supported the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act. For more than half of British Columbians (53 per cent), the goal established by the provincial government was “achievable.” Over the past nine months, the situation has changed. In October, the provincial government amended the Zero-Emission Vehicles Act, effectively phasing-out the sale of gas-powered light-duty cars and trucks by 2035 – five years earlier than originally envisioned. This brought the provincial legislation in tune with the federal government’s own target, giving customers and industries exactly 11 years to “go electric.” When we asked British Columbians about these amendments last week, there is an evident sense of panic from some residents ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Flavio Volpe, head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, believes the recent electric vehicle targets set out by Canada's environment minister also carried this pointed message to Canada's domestic auto industry: "Let them eat cake." Volpe says he has come to this conclusion because he believes those goals, which include a national target of 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035, cannot be met. He accused the government of not caring whether those cars are domestically built or come from China, regardless of the impact it may have ... CLICK HERE for the full story

On Friday, the BC government invited all of us to ... give input on the wide range of training and job opportunities driven by CleanBC. Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training stated, “ We want to hear from people, educators, businesses, First Nations and industry on what we can do to make sure there are pathways for people throughout our province to ensure they have the skills and training they need to build a sustainable economy .” Further, Environment Minister, George Heyman also provided his thoughts saying: “ Together we can build a thriving, innovative economy that puts B.C. on the path to a cleaner, better future with new and rewarding job opportunities ”. “ As industry and businesses become more efficient, using cleaner energy, there will be changes to existing work as well as a need for new skills, which we must support through new education and training”. “We want to hear from people who have ideas about...