What’s good for the goose apparently isn’t additionally good for the gander on the subject of the Ontario authorities.

Conservative Premier Doug Ford has a majority authorities and may cross virtually any laws his occasion chooses. But it surely received’t offer electric-vehicle rebates any time quickly.

Nonetheless, it plans to make hay with the U.S. EV tax rebate, signed into legislation by President Joe Biden on Aug. 12. It was feared that the Inflation Discount Act of 2022 would exclude Canadamade electrical autos from a US $7,500 tax credit score. However U.S. lawmakers finally determined to incorporate all autos made in North America within the plan.

That happy everybody from automakers to unions to politicians.

Ontario Financial Growth Minister Vic Fedeli praised the choice, noting it was an opportunity to construct extra EVs in Canada and ship them south. However he lately instructed The Canadian Press that his authorities has no plans to reinstate an EV rebate of its personal, one thing it scrapped in 2018 when it first got here to energy beneath Ford.

“These rebates that had been in place earlier than, if you happen to purchased an electrical automobile in Canada and also you had been in search of a rebate, it’s on a foreign-made automotive,” he instructed the information company.

Oh, the hypocrisy. That’s exactly what our American cousins are being enticed to do; purchase foreign-made (i.e. Canada) electrical autos.

Apparently, we’re all on this collectively. Until we aren’t.

I’m undecided who precisely the Conservatives are pandering to on the subject of their staunch refusal to reinstate a rebate.

Fedeli stated the federal government “determined to place our cash on the availability facet, backing the employees.” Newsflash: Ontario isn’t simply made up of autoworkers. There are different “staff” who want to promote electrical autos. And much more who want to purchase them.

Ontario consumers be damned. We’ll simply promote discounted EVs to the People.

It’s not like incentives are unusual or that they don’t work. Each jurisdiction that has them sees greater EV uptake. And no, EVs will not be only for “millionaires,” because the premier as soon as claimed. Complete manufacturers are going electrical. So, it’s time for Ontario to affix two of the nation’s greatest markets — Quebec and British Columbia — and supply incentives. And don’t be frugal.

Some folks within the trade need the incentives elevated, regardless of B.C. upping the utmost quantity to $4,000 from $3,000. However the province is now tying that to revenue, which may really scale back the whole quantity accessible to some.

“Downside is that the common incentive for many EV intenders will probably be decrease at a time when EV costs are rising,” stated David Adams, head of the International Automakers of Canada, which represents abroad manufacturers corresponding to Toyota and Honda. “Not a very good recipe for rising adoption B.C.”

However a good worse recipe is none in any respect.