In today's budget, the Campbell administration announced the provincial surtax on passenger vehicles priced over $49,000 would now only apply to cars and trucks valued at more than $55,000. According to the government, that will help "British Columbians who require diesel pickups and similar vehicles" - at a cost of $10 million in annual revenue. But, in what surely must have been an unintended consequence, luxury car buyers and sellers will also be opening champagne bottles tonight to celebrate the increased threshhold. According to CanadianDriver, 2006 vehicles in the $49,000 to $55,000 range include the Audi A4, the BMW Z4 Roadster, the Jaguar X-Type and the Lincoln LS. The following is a complete list.
Acura Models
MDX
Audi Models
A4
BMW Models
3 Series
X3
Z4
Buick Models
Rainier
Cadillac Models
DTS
Chevrolet Models
Suburban 1500
Tahoe
Trailblazer
Chrysler Models
300
Crossfire
Dodge Models
Durango
Ford Models
Expedition
Explorer
GMC Models
Envoy
Envoy XL
Yukon
Yukon XL 1500
Yukon XL 2500
Infiniti Models
G35
M35
Jaguar Models
X-Type
Jeep Models
Commander
Grand Cherokee
Land Rover Models
LR3
Lexus Models
RX330
Lincoln Models
LS
Mark LT
Mercedes-Benz Models
C Class
Nissan Models
350Z
Armada
Titan
Saab Models
9-3
9-7X
Subaru Models
B9 Tribeca
Toyota Models
4Runner
Highlander
Sienna
Volkswagen Models
Touareg
Volvo Models
S80
V70
XC90
You never know when you might need a X type Jag to drive down to the corner store.
I guess my 1981 Volvo doesn't make the cut and I wouldn't sell it anyway for some of the expensive stuff littering the parking lots. It's like a fellow we know who bought himself a Hummer a couple of years ago to make sure he wouldn't get stuck in the snow. It snows in victoria once every few years. He got stuck in his driveway.
Very comprehensive list.
Clearly we know what one scribe did to while away his time in the lock-up.....
By the way our tagline on this one was 'She Whose Off-White Pumps Must Be Obeyed'.
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I don't really have a problem with this exemption, provided it is restricted to genuine pickups used by people whose business requires a truck or crew cab.
However, sports cars or luxury sedans is another matter. For passenger cars that are not expected to carry half-ton or larger payloads a lower threshold, probably about $35,000, should be used. For those who may need a genuine off-road capability, but not big payloads, smaller 4x4 trucks such as the Jeep Wrangler and Liberty would easily fit under a $35,000 limit.
As for the Gucci shoes, Vaughn Palmer was dead wrong in scoring that exchange as Min 1 Pundit 0 in today's Sun. The shoes were a really stupid mistake, not the least due to their obvious ugliness, which proves that their only value in Taylor's eyes was the snobbly up-market price tag.
Contrast this to former Fin Min Joy MacPhail's purchase of a $300 pair of Canadian-made Dayton's, produced in her own East Vancouver riding. There is no comparison. Carole Taylor has exposed herself as totally unpatriotic and completely silly, and no amount of Liberal yuppie credentials or idiotic rationalizations about "amortizing" clothing can save her from this totally avoidable embarassment. Basically, it's a wall-to-wall rubout for Taylor.