Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question goes to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy: Can the minister confirm that the British version of the Mazda CX30 is $19,000 more expensive than similar models in Australia? Is this an indicator a likely impact of Labor's new car and ute tax? Will he admit that that vehicle's improved fuel efficiency falls well short of the 25 per cent that he has been claiming?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! There is far too much interjecting. The member for Cooper will cease interjecting. The member for Bruce is now warned. The Minister for Climate Change and Energy has the call.

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

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate a question from the honourable member for Fairfax. I was surprised that the first question got through the tactics committee on the fuel efficiency standards, but after the member for Ballarat's answer I'm very surprised the second question got through. Because what this government has done is put out a preferred position on a new vehicle efficiency standard to give Australians more choice of better cars. The other thing that surprises me is how anyone could be against that. Giving Australians more choice of better cars to run. It is the case that the Mazda CX30 available in the United Kingdom uses around 20 per cent less fuel than the most efficient Australian equivalent. The petrol Mazda CX5 sold overseas uses around 25 per cent less fuel than the most efficient version in Australia. The most efficient Mazda2—you asked about Mazdas, so I'm happy to give you quite a few—sold overseas uses around 25 per cent less fuel than the most efficient Australian equivalent. I think we know where this is going.

I'm not the only person who thinks this is the case. The member for Ballarat, the minister for transport, and I released a very comprehensive analysis—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We don't need props.

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

I was going to table it, Mr Speaker—a comprehensive analysis on the weekend, which goes through very substantial analysis of the impact. The minister for transport and I checked the precedent for doing that, and we found that the precedent was established in 2016 by the member for Bradfield, who released an analysis, and that led the member for Bradfield to make certain observations of the impact. He found, for example, that there are cars sold in the United Kingdom by Mazda that are more efficient than those sold in Australia. That's what the member for Bradfield pointed out back in 2016.

You chair the tactics committee. Do you let these questions through? I'm not quite sure how it happens, but the fact of the matter is that—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask the minister to address his comments through the chair. The Leader of the Opposition on a point of order?

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance, tellingly the minister makes no reference to the fact that the Mazda in the UK is $19,000 more expensive. He hasn't gone to that point. That is the crux of the question. Why is he applying a new tax to cars and utes in this country?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has been mentioning Mazdas, but I just want to make sure that the Mazda he's referring to is related to the question.

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

I was making the point that there are several Mazdas and other models that are more efficient overseas than they are in Australia, and we believe that Australians have a right to access those better, cheaper to run cars. We believe that Australians deserve the right to lower emissions, cheaper to run cars. Those opposite apparently don't. That's a matter for them. They have a choice. They can stand against choice or they can stand for it. They can stand for better cars or they can stand against them. That is a choice that is available. The member for Bradfield, and before the member for Kooyong, tried it for five minutes in 2016 before they got vetoed by the hard right of the Liberal Party. This government will actually deliver better choice, with or without the help of those opposite.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Fairfax asked his question. He was continually interjecting. He's warned: no more interjections from the member for Fairfax, please.