SENATOR THE HON BRIDGET MCKENZIE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
LEADER OF THE NATIONALS IN THE SENATE
SENATOR FOR VICTORIA
16 May 2024
MEDIA RELEASE
LABOR AND GREENS RAM THROUGH TAX ON FAMILY CARS AND UTES
The Albanese Labor Government and Greens have joined forces to rush Labor’s family car and ute tax without allowing any debate on the impact of this tax on families, car dealerships and the automotive industry.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie said Labor’s family car and ute tax will mean a massive multi-billion-dollar subsidy to Elon Musk’s Tesla and Chinese electric vehicle makers to fulfil Labor’s escalated net zero ambitions.
“Labor refused to allow second reading speeches in the House and Senate, refused debate on the legislation and has blocked attempts to refer the legislation to investigation by Senate inquiry,” Senator McKenzie said.
“Labor has been incredibly secretive about the impacts of their family car and ute tax from the start and today they were prepared to run roughshod over normal Parliamentary process to deny any debate, investigation, or questions on the legislation in the Parliament.
“To overturn all Parliamentary conventions, you have to ask, what does the Government have to hide?”
Labor has refused to release the modelling report undertaken by ACIL-Allen and GHD at a cost to taxpayers of $750,000, and gagged industry stakeholders up in secretive non-disclosure agreements.
“What we do know is that this legislation will add thousands of dollars to the cost of buying many of Australia’s best-selling SUVs, utes, and four-wheel drives,” Senator McKenzie said.
“A policy that increases the cost of families buying a new car in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis is something the Coalition cannot support.
“Nor can we support a policy that will result in families holding onto their existing cars for longer, slowing down the renewal of the fleet with cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles and the process of reducing transport emissions.”
“Under Labor only one type of road-user is exempt from contributing to the maintenance and safety of our roads – those rich enough and lucky enough to be able to afford, or have a job that pays for, an electric vehicle.
“Everyone else is required to pay taxes to fund the repair, maintenance, and safety of our roads, including truck drivers, bus drivers, and families who drive internal combustion or hybrid engine cars,” Senator McKenzie said.
The Coalition believes there should be a technology neutral approach to achieving net zero and a low emissions transport future, including hybrids as a transition technology, biofuels, hydrogen, and other technologies perhaps yet to be commercialised.
Senator McKenzie introduced Senate amendments to the Bill to abolish Labor’s car tax from the legislation and prohibit the trading of credits between competing auto manufacturers to prevent the payment of massive subsidies to Tesla and Chinese EV makers.
The Coalition does not support this tax on the cars Australians love to drive.
ENDS.
The Opposition will be seeking to amend the Bill as following throughout the guillotine:
- Oppose Labor’s family car and ute tax by abolishing the penalty imposed on final emissions values
- Protect consumers from unintended price or supply shocks as a consequence of the legislation based on an agreed data-driven procedure enabling the Minister to:
- Remove Labor’s proposed “ratchet mechanism”; and
- Require the Minister to give consideration to price, emissions, choice and fairness and to issue a statement of explanation as to how the determination supports the achievement of net zero by 2050;
- Encourage vehicle manufacturers to invest in low-emissions technologies rather than facilitate the payment by Australian car buyers of billion dollar subsidies to Elon Musk’s Tesla and Chinese EV-only auto manufacturers by prohibiting the transfer of units (credits) to other businesses (auto manufacturers or suppliers)
- To support vehicle manufacturers comply with the Standard and align with the comparable scheme in the United States, extend the period units (credits) are able to be held to five years