We have an opportunity to reduce the cost of EVs without taxpayer money and the government’s response is to threaten trade restrictions

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The Liberal government’s declaration of war against Chinese electric vehicles shows that saving the environment has taken a back seat to industrial policy.

On Monday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland held a highly anticipated press conference at an auto parts plant in Vaughan, Ont., where she made the case that China is engaging in an “intentional, sate-directed policy of” flooding the market with inexpensive EVs that is harming domestic producers, and promised “clear, strong, decisive action” to counter China’s “unfair competition.”

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Rather than impose a 100 per cent tariff on Chinese EVs — as U.S. President Joe Biden did last month and many expected Freeland to do this week — the finance minister announced … a 30-day consultation on “potential policy responses.” If that isn’t an example of clear, strong and decisive action, I don’t know what is.

The government’s list of potential policy options include imposing a surtax on Chinese electric vehicles, excluding them from the $5,000 EV rebates and broader investment restrictions. In other words, we’re going to try to out-commie the actual Communists by placing ever-greater limitations on Canadian trade and investment.

The Liberals, of course, will not be consulting the vast majority of Canadian taxpayers who........

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