Canadian Government Promotes Self, Not Green Cars

[pfezziwig]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Environment Minister John Baird made the announcement of a 31 million dollar program towards promoting green cars.

Of that $21 million will go towards the ecoENERGY for a Personal Vehicles program. This so called program will provide information on green cars on the market in the form of stickers and websites.

Is is just me or do they sound like the previous Liberal government that spends lots of money on promoting itself and getting nothing done. Do we really need 21 million spent on information websites and stickers?

The websites already exist. That leaves stickers and advertisements for the Conservatives to promote green cars and themselves.

They alluded to something useful prior to the announcement, giving $2000 tax credits to consumers buying fuel efficient green cars but decided on this personal Public Relations campaign of stickers and websites instead.

If half of the 21 million goes to administration that could of left 10.5 million towards tax incentives to actually buy the cars. That could of helped the sales of over 5000 cars, instead we get a zillion stickers and redundant websites promoting green cars and the Tory government.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, does this new ecoENERGY do anything useful, or is it a Conservative promotion tool?

pfezziwig, GreenCarsNow.com

[margrace]

Well what do you expect, how many SUV's are out there and who is driving them. Mr. Harper has to be seen as supporting business and there is good money in gas and oil for instance so why would he promote anything different.

[Wilber]

Well what do you expect, how many SUV's are out there and who is driving them. Mr. Harper has to be seen as supporting business and there is good money in gas and oil for instance so why would he promote anything different.

Who is driving them and how many of them would give a rats ass about green cars even if you did give them two grand to buy one. Government and oil companies aren't putting a gun to anyones head and forcing them to buy SUVs. Until the public is actually willing to act on its rhetoric, tax breaks and grants aren't going to do much.

[geoffrey]

Well what do you expect, how many SUV's are out there and who is driving them. Mr. Harper has to be seen as supporting business and there is good money in gas and oil for instance so why would he promote anything different.

SUV drivers pay for their dirty desires, look at the gas they burn and look at how much of that gas is taxes.

SUV drivers pay for their damage, they pay much more in taxes than the rest of us that drive fuel efficient vehicles (doesn't have to be a hybrid).