Government Advocacy

Snap BC Provincial Election Called During COVID-19 Pandemic

Premier John Horgan surprised everyone, including the BC Green Party, by calling the provincial election a year early on Saturday, October 24. People were surprised by this election get. This included a creating a PST tax-free holiday on vehicles, qualifying electric vehicles.

call because Premier John Horgan and the BC NDP government have a year left in their mandate. Many have commented that this is not an ideal time for an election, as the province is preparing for the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to hit.

At the time of preparing this update, most public opinion polls have Premier Horgan with a 72 per cent approval rating and the BC NDP are 20 points ahead of the BC Liberals (this is a similar lead the BC NDP had over the Liberals in 2013 when the Liberals came back and won), but we will see if they can repeat this in 2020.

Polling aside, campaigns still matter here in BC. There are a lot of factors at play. Could the BC Liiberals create another “Hail Mary” campaign with their cut to the PST? Or maybe a Green surge affects either the BC Liberals or the BC NDP as we head into the 2020 provincial elections.

Due to COVID-19 conditions, this will be an election like no other. To prepare for the vote, Elections BC announced that British Columbians could request a mail-in ballot and in the first few days dwarfs the 6,500 that were requested in the 2017 election. The fact that so many British Columbians have requested a mail-in ballot will add confusion to the process of counting votes and likely delay the final election results. We may not know who the next government is until sometime in mid-November.

In advance of the election, NCDA President & CEO Blair Qualey presented to the 2021 Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services and advocated for key initiatives to be included in the 2021 budget, which will be released in February 2021. NCDA staff reminded the committee of the enormous financial and social benefits that the almost 400 New Car Dealers contribute to 55 communities across the province.

The presentation included several recommendations for the government to consider as part of the COVID-19 recovery budabolishing the luxury tax or, as a start, removing it from the sale of work trucks, pick-up trucks and essential vehicles and, finally, adding more rebates for the CleanBC Go Electric Rebate Fund, so we can continue to provide incentives for the purchase of new,

of the campaign, it received over 480,000 requests. This figure

Good news came in late August when the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services released its final report. The committee recommended that the Minister of Finance review and address the luxury tax on vehicles.

The summer session of the Legislature was consumed with issues relating to COVID-19. BC Health Minister Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry, the province’s Chief Medical Officer, were centre stage throughout the summer as they handled the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They ensured a smooth government response during this challenging time.

During the COVID-19 crisis, NCDA adjusted like most organizations to the virtual world of Zoom, Skype, Teams and social media channels, as we pivoted to a new normal. We continue to advocate on your behalf as we did throughout the summer by connecting with members of the BC Liberals and the BC NDP. We continue to advocate for fewer taxes and less regulatory measures, and encourage ongoing funding for the Clean Energy Vehicle Program, further promotion of ICBC incentives for advanced technology in vehicles and, most importantly, completion of the review of the luxury tax and ensuring support for businesses impacted by COVID-19.

In September, the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources announced the regulations for the ZEV mandate. NCDA is working on being a part of the Zero-Emission Vehicles Advisory Council and working with the OEMs to advocate for changes to the current regulatory framework.

The Cullen Commission Inquiry into Money Laundering is ongoing, and an interim report is due by November 15, 2020. Over the summer, the commission and the BC Lottery Corporation got into a legal battle over access to information. This should make the report a very interesting read, once it is released.

It again was a busy summer and fall for the NCDA and with the snap election call, it is even busier, as we continue to work for you, keeping the pedal to the metal to ensure all of members’ issues are addressed, no matter who forms the next provincial government in BC.

Q&A With Heppner

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S: What are you most optimistic about in the auto industry? What gets you excited about business and the future? PH: As so many before me have stated, the only constant in this business is change. Auto dealers are remarkably adaptable and resilient. Our business model is changing more quickly than ever—this to me is exciting. The pace of technological advances in the vehicles promises to be equally exciting. S: You serve on the CADA board executive. What has this national experience shown you about the importance of the provincial and national associations? PH: I am delighted and encouraged to see how well the provincial associations work together with CADA for the greater good. We each have our purpose—both being critical to the success of the other. My goals for CADA will not be very different from those at the NCDA—encourage even greater participation by dealer members to strengthen our collective voice. On the national stage, I believe this is particularly important for western dealers. We need to be heard with our perspectives considered in all national matters.