The federal environment minister denies he will implement a tax on pickup trucks proposed in the government’s emissions reduction plan, but a taxpayer advocate, opposition MP, and political scientist remain wary.
The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan recommends: “Broaden Canada’s existing Green Levy (Excise Tax) for Fuel Inefficient Vehicles to include additional ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle types, such as pickup trucks. A sliding scale for the implementation of this Green Levy should be developed based on the emissions produced from different vehicles.”
The proposal was made by the government’s Net Zero Advisory Board and included in an annex of the 271-page document. It was first drawn to public attention by Kris Sims in an April 14 opinion article for the Toronto Sun. The B.C. director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation wrote, “The Trudeau government is planning to hit Canadians with a big new tax … [that] would cost an extra $1,000 on a Ford F-150, and a Ram 3500 heavy-duty pickup truck would get hit with a $4,000 tax.”
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