Government Advocacy

BC Legislative Update

As the 2019 Fall session of the Legislature ended in Victoria, it marked the end of a busy-but-productive year for the New Car Dealer’s Association (NCDA). At the forefront of our efforts this past year was advocating for ongoing funding of the Clean Energy Vehicle Program (CEVforBC), ICBC incentives for advanced technology in vehicles and review of the luxury tax.

In 2019, CEVforBC was a cornerstone of the BC government’s CleanBC Program and as a province, we reached a significant milestone by having over 30,000 EVs on the road. Moreover, EV sales in BC are the highest per capita in all of North America, out-pacing both Quebec and California.

In the spring, the province and ICBC announced that they would soon be implementing insurance discounts for vehicles with enhanced braking systems. ICBC is hoping that these new safety features will help reduce the number of accidents and, at the same time, help reduce the cost of insurance for thousands of British Columbians.

In June, the NCDA presented to the provincial government’s all-parliamentary Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. Central to our presentation to this committee was the government’s luxury tax on vehicles, especially work trucks, and the surtax on luxury vehicles. Importantly, we made it clear that no other items except vehicles are subject to a luxury tax. As a result of our presentation, the committee recommended that the Ministry of Finance conduct an extensive review of the luxury tax structure. The results of the review are expected in the 2020 BC Provincial Budget coming in February.

In early summer, Peter German released his long-awaited report on money laundering activities in BC. One main focus of his report was on suspicious transactions at BC’s casinos and in the real estate market. But the NCDA was actively involved with the province in assisting German and the Attorney General’s office to understand how new car dealers handle vehicle transactions, especially in regard to luxury vehicle sales.

Looking ahead to 2020, here are a few things we’ll be watching. The winter

Blair Qualey, NDCA President and CEO, in Victoria with BC MLAs, including BC Finance Minister Carole James, ministers Melanie Mark and George Heyman, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, and BC Premier John Horgan. Photos NCDA Files

session resumes on February 11 with the Throne Speech, followed by the budget the next week on February 18.

We’re excited about hosting the 100th anniversary of the Vancouver International Auto Show in March 2020. We’ll also be hosting a number of elected officials during the show. As well, we are actively planning another year of extensive meetings and activities with the Province of BC. Later in the spring, we will be in Victoria for our annual provincial government lobby day and later in the year, we will be back in Victoria at the Union of BC Municipalities Convention, which is scheduled for September 21—25.