British Columbians are heading to the polls next month, and over the coming weeks we will hear a lot about affordability, the economy and the future direction of our province.
Transportation needs to be part of that conversation.
For many British Columbians, owning a vehicle is not a luxury. It is how they get to work, take their children to school, care for family members, operate a small business and participate in their communities.
That reality should matter as political parties put forward their platforms and candidates ask British Columbians for their votes.
The New Car Dealers Association of BC represents more than 400 new car and truck dealers and approximately 30,000 employees across the province. Our members see firsthand the pressures facing consumers and businesses, and we believe this upcoming provincial election provides an opportunity for a serious discussion about four issues that will help shape transportation in BC for years to come.
The first is affordability.
British Columbians are already dealing with significant cost pressures. Government should be looking for opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs rather than allowing taxes and regulations to make vehicle ownership more expensive.
BC’s Luxury Vehicle Tax is a good example. Its $55,000 threshold increasingly captures family vehicles that were never intended to be considered luxury purchases.
When ordinary SUVs, vans and pickup trucks can fall within a tax regime designed for luxury vehicles, it is reasonable to ask whether the policy still reflects today’s market. The next government should modernize it.
The second issue is the transition to lower-emission transportation.
BC’s new car dealers support that transition. Dealers have invested substantially in facilities, equipment and training to prepare for the vehicles of the future.
But environmental ambition has to be matched by practical policy.
Consumer demand, affordability, vehicle availability and charging infrastructure all have to be part of the equation. That is why we believe B.C. needs greater flexibility in its Zero-Emission Vehicle requirements and should align its approach with the federal government and remove the current BC electric vehicle mandate as a longer-term national emissions policy is developed.
The goal should be clear: reduce emissions. But government should establish the environmental outcomes we need to achieve and provide consumers and industry with flexibility in how we get there.
Third, BC urgently needs to address its skilled-trades shortage.
The vehicles arriving in dealerships today are increasingly sophisticated. Servicing them requires expertise in everything from traditional mechanical systems to electronics, software, batteries and advanced vehicle technology.
Yet, dealerships across the province continue to struggle to find qualified service technicians.
We need more trades-training opportunities, greater investment in advanced vehicle technology training and sensible pathways that allow qualified international graduates who have trained here and are already working in the sector to remain in Canada.
It makes little sense to train people for jobs our economy desperately needs and then create barriers to keeping them here.
Finally, the next provincial government will have to navigate an increasingly uncertain trade environment.
Canada-U.S. trade tensions affect far more than vehicle manufacturers. They affect parts, supply chains, dealerships, workers and ultimately consumers.
BC cannot control international trade policy, but the next government can work with Ottawa, other provinces and industry to protect consumers and workers, reduce unnecessary barriers and strengthen the competitiveness of our economy.
Good transportation policy has to work in the real world. It has to recognize what families can afford, what consumers actually want to buy, what businesses need to succeed and what is realistically required to meet our environmental objectives.
During this election campaign, we want parties and candidates to explain how they intend to do that.
British Columbians deserve more than slogans. They deserve workable policies that recognize where consumers are today while preparing our province for where transportation is going tomorrow.
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at [email protected].
