Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

It was the Labor Party that introduced a fringe benefits tax on motor vehicles—a $1.8 billion hit, which the member for McMahon was so proud of before the election. The best way you can help the Australian motor vehicle industry is impose a $1.8 billion tax on it! That was the Labor way of thinking. Then the Labor Party said that they would have a green car fund and then they cut the green car fund—

A government member: Cash for clunkers.

I forgot cash for clunkers. That was another great initiative from the Labor Party. But the carbon tax itself adds to the cost of producing motor vehicles in Australia—a carbon tax manufacturers do not pay if the cars are built in Thailand or anywhere else. The Labor Party believes the best way you can help manufacturing in Australia is to tax it to death. That is the Labor Party way. I would say to the member for Wakefield: the Australian automotive industry survives today despite the Labor Party, and the best thing that could happen for the Australian motor vehicle industry today is for the Labor Party to help get rid of the carbon tax.

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