Canadian Legislative Issues
New Brunswick Receptive To Carbon Tax
Finance Minister, Roger Melanson, is looking at the option of implementing a carbon tax in order to reduce the provinces’ deficit.
"We need to get expenditures under control, but we also said on the revenue side, we're open to looking at different options for revenues. We're not saying we're going to bring in a carbon tax, but we're saying everything's on the table other than duality and bilingualism programs," declared Melanson.
The idea of a carbon tax was first introduced in 2008 by former Finance Minister Victor Boudreau and it was estimated to generate 100 million in supplementary revenue. However, the government did not end up going through with the idea.
In sum, a carbon tax could have a potential impact on NAFA Members and fleet managers.
British Columbia Bids On Clean Technology Vehicles
British Columbia’s Minister of Energy and Mines, Bill Bennett, announced on March 23 a new incentive to make clean technology vehicles more cost-effective. The incentive consists in a rebate up to $ 5,000 when someone buys a new battery electric, fuel-cell electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and up to $6,000 for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle.
"With the Clean Energy Vehicle program, we’re providing incentives that will make electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles more affordable for British Columbians, and expanding the charging and fueling infrastructure to make it easier to ‘fill the tank’, " stated Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines.
The government has invested $ 10.6 million dollars in the Clean Energy Vehicle Program (CEV) in which the new incentive is part of. As part of the Program, the government will invest in the following areas over the next three years:
- $7.5 million for point-of-sale incentives for electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
- $1.59 million for investments in charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure
- $1 million for incentives for commercial fleet purchases of clean energy vehicles
- $500,000 for research, training, and public outreach on clean energy transportation technology1
Finally, the purpose of this incentive and the CEV Program is to promote the use of clean technology vehicles within the province and this can have a real potential impact on NAFA Members and fleet managers.
1 "New incentive to make clean energy vehicles more affordable." www2.news.gov.bc.ca. March 23, 2015. http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2013-2017/2015MEM0009-000380.htm
