Jenny Ware (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of this matter of public importance brought by the member for Fairfax. This government's family car and ute tax is making the cost-of-living crisis so much worse for Australians. Labor has introduced something it is calling the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard. This is nothing but a new tax to encourage, apparently, the sale of cleaner cars.

This has been the brainchild of Minister Catherine King and Minister Bowen. Minister Bowen has said this will save money at the petrol pump. Minister Bowen has said this will give us more choice about the cars we buy. Minister Bowen has said this will reduce transport emissions. What we need to look at are all of the things that Minister Bowen has not said. Minister Bowen has not said that most Australians won't be able to afford the new cars. Minister Bowen has not done his work. He is not across the detail, he has not listened to industry and he has not advised Australians how much more these new cars will cost. Minister Bowen should be honest. We know from experience that Australians do listen to Minister Bowen. They certainly listened to him in the federal election campaign of May 2019. At that stage Minister Bowen, as he is now, almost became the federal Treasurer. When Australians didn't like the tax policy he took to the election, he turned around and said, 'If you don't like our policies, don't vote for us.' Australians listened to Minister Bowen, and they did not vote for him. Once Australians get across the detail of this policy, they similarly will not like it.

This proposed vehicle efficiency standard is simply a tax on family cars and utes—cars that Australians love. As usual with this government, the devil is in the detail. Yesterday in question time those on our side asked questions of Minister Bowen, trying to get across the detail. We saw some ashen-faced performances when he could not, or would not, answer questions about what this great big tax would mean for Australian families, Australian tradies and all of those who work in the construction industry and need their utes as a primary work tool for them to get to work and to take their tools onto their jobs.

When we look into the detail of this great big new tax by Labor, we see that it could drive up vehicle prices by up to $25,000 for SUVs and four-wheel drives and up to $16,000 for utes. It would cost $11,000 more for a Toyota RAV4, one of Australia's favourite cars; $25,000 more for a Toyota LandCruiser; $17,000 more for a Ford Ranger; $14,000 more for a Toyota HiLux; and over $13,000 more for a Isuzu D-MAX. This is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

I was present in the chamber when the member for Bean was talking about the cost-of-living crisis and what it means for the women of Australia. I can tell the member for Bean that I know exactly what it will mean for the women of Australia, who are often transporting their kids around in four-wheel drives and SUVs. This will have a direct impact on the women of Australia. It will have a direct impact in my electorate of Hughes, where I have over 10,000 technicians and tradies and over 4,000 labourers. Almost 15,000 people in my electorate will now be faced with spending a whole lot more money for their work vehicles. That's not to mention, with all respect to the member for Bean, the many women in my electorate, the many mums who cart their children around and the many other people in my electorate who simply love their SUVs.

To conclude, as always, the devil is in the detail with any policies like these that are announced by Labor. Minister Bowen loves a big headline, but, when you get down into the detail, this is just another great big tax from this government, inflicted on Australians during the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

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