Manitoba's government is planning to allow low-speed electric cars on the road, ban imports and sales of older vehicles and develop new emissions standards -- all in an effort to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets.
A bill tabled Friday commits the province to cut about three megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 to bring emissions back to pre-1990 levels.
It's the equivalent of pulling roughly half a million cars off the road.
"This is a legislated target. It really provides the framework that will allow an action plan to proceed,'' NDP Premier Gary Doer said Friday.
"If we don't achieve it, I suggest the ultimate penalty in 2011 will be the defeat of the government,'' he said, pointing to the next expected election year.
If the bill passes, Manitoba will become the second province, after British Columbia, to allow low-speed electric cars such as the Canadian-made ZENN on the road. The bill would also forbid people from importing for resale cars and trucks manufactured before 1995, which tend to be more polluting. Cars deemed to be antiques or classics would be exempt.
Other details in the works
The province hopes to develop vehicle emission standards for all cars and trucks, but only after an advisory board draws them up. That may occur after the federal government draws up national standards it has already promised.
There will also be new energy-efficiency requirements for new home furnaces and government-funded buildings, which will be drawn up at a later date.
The bill would also require Manitoba Hydro to burn coal only in emergency situations, even though the Crown corporation is already phasing out its last coal-fired plant in Brandon.
Critics called the bill vague and suggested it doesn't address some of the key sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
"I'm disappointed that there's no plan for agriculture, which is a major area where we're increasing dramatically at the moment,'' said Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard.
Gerrard also called on the province to boost funding for Winnipeg's planned rapid transit system. Instead, the government recommitted to the existing 50-50 funding share for municipal transit systems.
