The auto industry got a brief mention in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government’s short throne speech Tuesday as the Liberals hinted at the elimination of the internal-combustion engine.
“Investing in public transit and mandating the sale of zero emissions vehicles will help us breathe cleaner air,” Gov. Gen. Mary Simon while delivering the speech.
The promise was included in the address, which outlined the Liberals' agenda for Trudeau's third mandate. It was the only mention of the auto industry.
Brian Kingston, head of the Canadian Vehicles Manufacturers’ Association, which represents the interests of the Detroit Three automakers in Canada, said selling EVs requires an aggressive approach and more than just a mandate.
“Increasing sales of zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) requires more ambitious government efforts to address the well-documented barriers to ZEV adoption,” Kingston said in a statement to Automotive News Canada. “This means significantly expanding consumer purchase incentives and building a comprehensive, accessible charging network.”
There were few surprises in the speech. It was mostly a recap of the Liberal platform for the recent federal election, which produced a second consecutive minority government for Trudeau.
It focused on finishing the fight against COVID-19 and rebuilding a more resilient, fairer and greener economy. That’s where the suggestion of a ZEV mandate fits in.
“The Government is taking real action to fight climate change. Now, we must go further, faster,” Simon said during her delivery.
Reconciliation was also a major theme of the speech, delivered partly in Inuktitut by Simon, the first Indigenous person to hold the viceregal post.
She opened the speech with a reflection on the pain caused by the discovery last spring of what are believed to be hundreds of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the sites of two former residential schools.
"We cannot hide from these discoveries; they open deep wounds," Simon said, adding that "despite the profound pain, there is hope."
Among other things, the speech promises to create a national monument to honour residential school survivors.
It also reiterates Trudeau's assertion that Canadians gave parliamentarians clear direction in the Sept. 20 election, which produced an almost identical result to the 2019 vote.
"Not only do they want parliamentarians to work together to put this pandemic behind us, they also want bold, concrete solutions to meet the other challenges we face," it says.
"This is the moment for parliamentarians to work together to get big things done and shape a better future for our kids."
The speech sketches the broad outlines of the government's agenda with few details.
It argues that ending the pandemic "for good" is the best way to revive the economy.
But with employment now back to pre-pandemic levels and more than 80 per cent of Canadians vaccinated, the speech reiterates the Liberals' plan to replace pandemic benefits with more targeted aid for those hardest hit by the health crisis.
It also highlights promising to make housing more affordable and to finish negotiations with two holdout provinces and two territories to introduce national $10-a-day child care.
And it argues that growing the economy goes hand in hand with protecting the environment. It says now is the time to "go further, faster" on combating climate change.
It promises to "strengthen action to prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastline erosion and other extreme weather worsened by climate change."
With files from The Canadian Press and Greg Layson of Automotive News Canada.
