Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is shifting his political offensive from the carbon tax to what he’s branding the “Carney tax,” vowing a nationwide push this fall to scrap the federal government’s electric vehicle sales mandate. The policy requires 20 per cent of all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada next year to be zero-emission, with the target increasing to 100 per cent by 2035.
Under the rules, automakers who fail to meet the sales quota face penalties of $20,000 per vehicle, a cost Poilievre argues will be passed down to consumers. The automotive industry warns that meeting the 20 per cent target in 2026 will be unrealistic, pointing to U.S. tariffs and the expiry of government incentive programs as major obstacles.
Poilievre says the mandate is driven by ideology rather than practicality and plans to challenge it through public events, grassroots mobilization, and motions in the House of Commons.