In her latest newsletter titled “Your Car. Your Choice”, Marilyn Gladu MP continues her tendency to frame an issue in a highly partisan manner without providing proper context so that readers can make an informed opinion.
In her latest newsletter titled “Your Car. Your Choice”, Marilyn Gladu MP continues her tendency to frame an issue in a highly partisan manner without providing proper context so that readers can make an informed opinion.
Gladu is obviously opposed to EV sales and the need to promote their adoption to help Canada fight climate change and reduce air pollution while lowering operating and maintenance costs. With EV’s now typically getting 400 – 500 kilometres or more on a single charge, driving an EV can significantly reduce fuel costs and favourably impact a family’s budget.
It is ironic that the day after Gladu’s newsletter arrived in my mailbox, Windsor announced that one of the world’s top auto parts makers will partner with another Asian company to produce battery casings and parts for EV’s. They will create over 1000 jobs in Windsor.
Unconcerned about Trump’s tariffs, these company leaders expressed confidence that the future for the auto industry is in building high-quality and affordable vehicles powered by clean electricity, which we mostly have in Ontario.
The EV vehicle industry is growing rapidly in many countries with EV’s now accounting for 1 in 4 new car sales globally, according to the National Observer. EV sales have been hampered in Canada by high prices and the lack of competition from foreign imports, the end of government rebates and the lack of charging infrastructure. Allowing cheaper foreign imports would drive innovation and competition and lead to lower prices.
When Doug Ford was elected as Ontario’s Premier, he cancelled projects to build EV charging infrastructure across the Province as part of his war on EV’s and clean energy. Since then, he has partially retreated from his short-sightedness on the importance of EV’s and EV batteries and parts to creating good jobs in Ontario.
The bottom line is that Canada and the USA under Trump are missing out on the economic opportunities to create good jobs in clean energy infrastructure and the EV industry.
Despite Gladu’s partisan and often misleading statements, the people of Sarnia-Lambton are smart enough to know what she and the Conservatives are really up to.
Allan McKeown
