Electric vehicle usage in Canada is growing, according to StatCan. (Mike Bird/Pexels)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

‘No legal or moral authority’: Premier Danielle Smith slams feds over electric vehicle policy

Dec 19, 2023 | 3:17 PM

EDMONTON, AB – Premier Danielle Smith on Tuesday slammed the federal government’s proposed plan to end sales of new gas or diesel powered vehicles by 2035, saying Ottawa does not have the authority to determine what cars can be purchased in Alberta.

The premier emphasized her United Conservative government “supports reducing emissions from the transportation sector and supporting Albertans who wish to drive lower-emissions vehicles.”

“However, these efforts must be led by and support consumers and businesses, and the federal government has no legal or moral authority to tell Albertans what vehicles they can and cannot buy,” Smith said.

Smith, who also serves as MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat, predicted a massive increase in the cost of vehicles, utility bills, business costs and risk in the often unpredictable, cold climate of Alberta, saying the province needed more time.

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“The federal government has unilaterally imposed an unconstitutional edict with a bizarrely impossible timeline.”

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said Ottawa’s new Electric Vehicle Availability Standard will encourage automakers to make more battery-powered cars and trucks available in the Canadian market.

“There’s no mistaking it, we are at a tipping point,” Guilbeault said, pointing out the growth in EV sales means there is more demand than supply.

In Canada during 2022, zero-emission vehicles made up 8.7 per cent of new registrations.

Automakers in Canada will have 12 years to phase out internal combustion vehicles while increasing the number of electric models they offer every year.

The new regulations, set to be published later this week, will align Canada with governments in places like Europe.

EVs made up 21.6 per cent of all new car registrations in Europe during 2022. All cars sold in the European Union will be zero-emission vehicles starting in 2035 after approval earlier this year.

Smith’s criticism of the federal government’s planned electric vehicle regulations is just one of many federal policies the premier has put on blast recently.

The Alberta government is also returning to court to fight an appeal by Ottawa to put a plastics ban in place.

— with files from the Canadian Press.