To the editor,
The Liberal’s proposed “up to $2,000 in retail tax rebates for the purchase of fuel-efficient and low emission vehicles” is commendable. However, an incentive to purchase fuel-efficient vehicles should go hand-in-hand with a disincentive to purchase “gas guzzlers.” This could easily be achieved by making the Provincial Vehicle Registration tax proportional to fuel efficiency—the fee could range from near zero for the most fuel-efficient to several hundred or more for the worst offenders. Those who choose to use more non-renewable resources, who produce more pollution, should have to pay for the privilege!
By Peter Lewis
This article appears in Jun 8-14, 2006.