Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

And just in the last half an hour we've seen evidence of that, with the announcement by Toyota that they are about to start importing their first-ever electric vehicle into Australia, which we very much welcome, which indicates very much that this extra choice for Australian people is something that can be delivered.

It's not just us who believe this. The member for Gippsland might want to have a little word in the shell-like ear of our old friend the member for Bradfield, who has dealt with these sorts of scare campaigns in the past and, I must say, very eloquently and very commendably and very efficiently—knocked all the scare campaigns away in his very eloquent op-ed in the Australian, which is still on his website as we speak, today. It's still up on his website this afternoon, where he said, 'The evidence from overseas is that there will be no increase in prices for any car.' And he was right. My new year's resolution was to be kinder and fairer to the opposition. I'm going to start with the member for Bradfield by quoting him approvingly on a regular basis because he deserves nothing less! He made the case.

In relation to others, again I draw the attention of the member for Gippsland to Hyundai, Volkswagen, BMW, Kia and Volvo, who have all welcomed the government's new vehicle efficiency standard—all of them. And motoring organisations—the NRMA, the RACQ and the RACWA, for example, who called for us to do exactly what we have done.

The real question for the opposition is: why do they want to stand in the way of better choices and better savings for motorists right across Australia. Why does the member for Gippsland, whose average constituent drives 17,830 kilometres a year, not want that constituent to receive $1,417 worth of fuel savings if they buy a new car in 2028. Why is the opposition so against better choices for Australians? Why are they against—

Opposition members interjecting—

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