Get Moving BC

Budget does little

I was away for a couple of days on business, and have returned to find a federal budget that essentially ignores Briotish Columbia's desperate transportation needs.

Columnist Paul Willcocks points out that the central Canada government thinks less of our nation's gateway to the Pacific than it does of the St. Lawrence, its gateway to the Atlantic:

The whole Pacfic Gateway idea, for one. Campbell sees the task of building roads and railways and airports and ports to improve transportation links with Asia as a national dream, St. Lawrence Seaway kind of national megaproject.

Harper, based on the budget, sees it as something less. There's an extra $50 million a year toward the Gateway projects, far from what B.C. was seeking.

The Union of BC Municipalities, on the other hand, are grateful to be holding on to their share of gas taxes for the next four years:

The federal Budget extension of the funding commitment for Gas Tax transfer for four years means another $2 billion a year for green infrastructure investment across Canada. Under the current agreement, BC local governments will receive $245 million in the final year. Assuming BC's share continues for another four years at that level, BC local governments will receive nearly $1 billion in added investments for clean air, clean water and greenhouse gas reductions.

I do see that the feds are pushing car buyers toward greener vehicles, which is a good thing. The Surrey Leader reports that

The Tories will whack buyers of the most wasteful SUVs with a new tax of up to $4,000, while fuel-efficient vehicles like gas-electric hybrids are now eligible for new green rebates of up to $2,000.

It means buyers of a new Honda Civic hybrid, for example, will get $4,000 back, because the federal rebate is on top of the $2,000 provincial PST rebate on hybrids.

But Ottawa’s program goes one step further, extending the rebate beyond hybrids to all new cars that use less than 6.5 litres of gas per 100 kilometres, and light trucks that are better than 8.3 L/ 100 km.

It means someone who buys a fuel-efficient Toyota Yaris hatchback will now get $1,000 back, as will buyers of the Jeep Compass or Patriot. Pickup trucks will be exempt from penalties.

posted by Jordan Bateman @ 8:10 AM