The Liberals’ ‘Truck Tax’ Represents The Worst Kind of Class Warfare

The Trudeau regime’s proposed taxing of new pickup trucks in Canada has to be called out more often for what it is: obviously mean-spirited, and a form of targeted class warfare against blue-collar workers.

This type of tax already exists on the purchase of larger “fuel-inefficient” SUVs, but also extends to people carrier/work vehicles like vans and station wagons. The earlier SUV/people carrier tax is mean-spirited in its own regard and should be abolished, however, this prior law did not apply to the purchase of new pick-up trucks. 

Until now. 

This latest proposed tax is a step into total lunacy, and amounts to an attack on the concept of working for a living (although it’s not that surprising to find this coming from the Trudeau regime. Free money to sit home and not work, anyone?).

For argument’s sake, many consumers do indeed buy light pickups as sports utility vehicles with no intention of ever using it for work, for example, the Jeep Gladiator pickup is almost entirely marketed as such. If the Trudeau government were to have stopped here; proposing only the $1000.00 tax on the purchase of light trucks, it could be argued the government is misguidedly attempting to curb frivolous purchasing behavior of large, planet-killing gas guzzlers, by citizens with no practical use for such vehicle.

This attitude of the government, attempting to curb public purchasing behavior is creepy in its own regard, but it could be argued they were potentially still honest actors and sincerely believed in the environmental goals they espoused.

But the proposal to tax medium-heavy ‘gross vehicle weight rated’ (GVWR) pickup trucks at a markedly higher rate than light GVWR trucks is what makes the proposed tax increase a targeted, and obviously malicious attack on the working class.

Pickups in the medium-heavy GVWR range are rarely purchased for recreation and almost always used in a commercial context, making the government’s proposal to tax this weight range of trucks illogical on its face. The article linked here points out that under the proposed scheme, medium-heavy GVWR trucks such as the Ram 3500 would be met with a $4000.00 tax over the $1000.00 for light-duty trucks.

 For comparison’s sake, the basic 2022 Ford F150 pickup with a 6-cylinder engine has a maximum towing capacity of 6350 lbs., which is nothing to sneeze at. However, the same year, unleaded gasoline-powered V8, Ford F350 is capable of towing up to 21,200 lbs, and you’ll almost never need to tow anything more than that.

Obviously, you can tow more than that, however, we’re getting into the tractor-trailer/diesel pickup area, and those aren’t being targeted for tax gouging by the Trudeau regime (yet). For most small-to-mid-sized contracting/construction companies, the regular unleaded fuel burning, medium-heavy trucks can handle every piece of equipment they will ever need to be moved.

It’s clear, then, that this targeting these medium-heavy duty pickup trucks with punitive taxes is punishment and an attack on the working class.

 Then too, on the opposite side of the equation, worldwide, car companies have started/are going to roll out hybrids and electric trucks, but the fact is this: these are essentially all recreational vehicles and not for serious work, so the Trudeau government is putting the cart before the horse here. They are attempting to phase out gasoline-powered work trucks before any alternatives are available. 

In the final analysis, there’s really no way to view the Trudeau government’s proposal to raise taxes on pickup trucks as a malicious attack on the working class, and that fact needs to be highlighted and called out.