Canadian environment minister Jim Prentice said that Quebec's new light vehicle emissions regulation are "counter-productive," a statement that has Quebec countering that the federal government is siding with the automotive industry.
Quebec's new vehicle emissions regulations, which are modeled after California's, were put in place Jan. 14, but the full ramifications won't be felt until 2016.
The regulation gives automobile manufacturers six years to adopt emissions reductions ranging from 24 percent to 37 percent, depending on the size of the vehicle.
Any vehicles not meeting the standard will be subject to an additional $5,000 fee.
Prentice criticized the regulations, saying that they will cause consumer to simply leave the province to buy vehicles, reports the New York Times.
Prentice also said that Canada would rather synchronize emissions targets with those in the U.S., as opposed to a piecemeal approach.
Another 14 states in the U.S. are in various stages of adopting rules similar to those in California.
In an editorial, the Edmonton Journal applauded Prentice for his "Tory straight talk."
Meanwhile, Quebec's environment minister has accused Canada's federal government of siding with the automotive industry, reports CP.
