SENATOR THE HON BRIDGET MCKENZIE
Shadow Minister for Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development
TED O’BRIEN MP
Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
19 AUGUST 2022
LABOR IS BACK AND SO IS TAX
Within a month of confirming its first broken promise of reducing household power bills, Labor is set to break another promise by taxing Australians to achieve its electric vehicle ambition.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen outlined Labor’s plan at the National Electric Vehicle Summit today.
Shadow Minister Ted O’Brien labelled the broken promise a ‘Bowen backflip’ that will hurt families.
“Labor is back and so is tax,” said Mr O’Brien.
“The Coalition wants to see more electric vehicles in Australia, but taxing Australian families is not the way to do it.
“Labor’s first broken promise was abandoning its $275 reduction in household power prices, and now it intends to break another promise with taxing vehicle owners.
“We want to see more EVs in Australia, but slapping taxes on Australians isn’t the answer,” said Mr O’Brien.
“We back technology to drive down prices while Labor backs taxes, we believe in consumer choice but Labor thinks government knows best.”
“At what point does the Albanese Government realise that Australian families are struggling with cost-of-living pressures and piling on more taxes will only make a bad situation even worse?
“There’s a role for government in facilitating a greater uptake of EVs and that lies with investing in smart infrastructure not taxing car owners, it means working with industry not forcing consumers to do the heavy lifting for them,” said Mr O’Brien.
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie said,
“Labor’s policy will make it harder for people to buy the car they want at a price they can afford.”
“This is not about making EVs cheaper – it is about making petrol and diesel cars and utes more expensive. Labor plans to increase the sale of EVs by putting some of Australia’s most popular vehicles – like the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton – out of reach”.
“This policy will add to the current cost of living crisis by adding thousands of dollars to the cost of a new car.
A 2016 Centre of International Economics report (Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from light vehicles) found that a 105g/km target could increase the price of cars by up to $4,863.
The Labor Government also needs to explain how it will secure enough critical minerals to support the increased use of battery technologies.”
Today, as revealed in a Senate enquiry, The Minerals Council of Australia has stated that we need trillions of dollars invested in critical minerals globally to make EVs in Australia affordable,” said Senator McKenzie.
“The Coalition believe in enabling consumer choice for new vehicle and fuel technologies, ensuring Australian motorists can choose the vehicle that is right for them – be that petrol, diesel, hydrogen or electric-powered.
END