Finance committee  That's right. We are not sure why subsidies are not available right now for these buses. As with the purchase of any other electric vehicle, the purchase of electric buses is an additional expense for school bus companies. What we want to do is obviously level the playing field, including for school bus companies, and allow them to make the best choice possible.

Finance committee  With respect to the question about zero-emission vehicle regulations, we note that provinces and territories with stringent regulations, such as Quebec, a forerunner in this area, and British Columbia, are the most successful in terms of sales. These regulatory mechanisms create obligations for zero-emission vehicle sales.

Finance committee  That's a very important question. A number of provinces opted to bring in carbon pricing on their own and have begun taxing carbon because they understand the importance of charging for carbon pollution and internalizing those costs. Everyone who has spoken today, particularly those who represent business, know that production costs exist.

Finance committee  You're right. We have to be very careful about how we approach carbon pricing and consider the consequences of not having our own regime. If the rest of the world keeps moving forward on that front while we move backwards, it puts us at a disadvantage in international trade. Adjustments have to be made for the agriculture sector.

Finance committee  Mr. Chair and members of the Standing Committee on Finance, thank you for coming to meet with us here in Quebec City this morning. I represent one of the largest environmental organizations in Quebec, Équiterre, which has more than 150,000 members and supporters. I'll start by saying that the climate crisis is not just a theoretical problem.

Finance committee  We still have a lot of things to get on. Over $30 billion has gone into the Trans Mountain pipeline. Billions of dollars are also being used to fund the decarbonization of the oil and gas sector through carbon capture and storage. In our opinion, this is a subsidy in disguise that allows oil and gas development to continue.

Finance committee  I would recommend creating more eco-taxes and binding regulations. I know that's often not what industries want to hear, but it's what's needed to achieve a gradual decrease in the funding we provide. There aren't a lot of solutions. You're right, the longer we maintain a carbon-based economy, the greater the costs associated with it will be.

Finance committee  Just on the subject of Via Rail, better WiFi would make a big difference. You're right about electric-assist bikes. Countless car trips could be replaced by bike trips. We are currently running an awareness-raising program called Vélovolt. We work with businesses so they can give their employees a chance to test electric-assist bikes and trial this mode of transportation for a month.

Finance committee  First of all, people need access to information about the product they're buying. We encourage governments to adopt repairability indexes so that consumers can opt to buy a more repairable product rather than a less repairable one. The index should also be prominently displayed.

Finance committee  From 2019 to 2023 the average cost of a new vehicle in Quebec increased from $34,000 to $64,000. That's a market reality.

Finance committee  No, not really. That's what I said in my presentation. These decisions were made by the auto industry. One of the factors you raised is, I think, part of the explanation. And the size of vehicles is another aspect. The vehicles being sold are bigger, more expensive to produce, and equipped with more technological gadgets.

Finance committee  Yes, there are differences in how they are applied. The basic principle is to put a price on carbon and pollution as a way of sending a signal to the market that the desired direction is towards something other than hydrocarbons, meaning renewable resources. In both instances, it's a market mechanism.

Finance committee  I'm going to reiterate the views of my colleagues at the Union des municipalités du Québec, who said they were in a good position to understand what they ought to do. I think the provinces are well placed to understand what they should do, and to choose the mechanism they prefer.

Finance committee  Well done, and I hope your washing machine is working properly again. That would be ideal. That's how they do it in France, with industry handling it. We are suggesting that the federal government should set it in motion, and rapidly at that. It could establish a fund and give it a boost, just as it did for electric vehicles, but then we think it should withdraw afterwards, allowing the market to administer the system and to manage the repair fund.

Finance committee  That covers a lot of ground. I'm going to return to the housing issue. I believe we need integrated planning, with contributions from the three levels of government. Discussions are needed, but without the politicization and polarization that so often make decisions impossible.