Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party, Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question as to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Three of the top six selling vehicles in regional Australia are made by Toyota and will cost families up to an extra $25,000 to purchase under Labor's new family car and ute tax. Toyota's vice-president of sales, Sean Hanley, has stated, 'It will have a profound negative impact on regional and rural Australia, and that will reverberate throughout the Australian economy.' Will the minister concede that the price of existing cars will increase for regional Australians?

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

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

Order! The minister has the call and will be heard in silence.

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

Thanks very much for the question—and thank you for the call, Mr Speaker. This is a continuation of the misinformation that those opposite like to peddle, and we will continue to point out the facts, with some support from those honourable members opposite who know the facts, like the member for Bradfield, who pointed out that the evidence from overseas was that there would be no material change in the price of any vehicle and that they would not expect any material change in the price here. That was the member for Bradfield when he actually stood for something and actually argued for reforms that he believed in, which is a change in events.

In relation to the question, I'll make a number of points. Firstly, as Farmers for Climate Action and others have pointed out—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

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

They laugh and they scoff; anybody they disagree with they scoff at. They scoff at Farmers for Climate Action over there, who have called for these reforms and pointed out that rural and regional drivers have a lot to gain from these reforms. I also point out in relation to price impacts, which I was asked about by the honourable member, that the FCAI, the peak group which has made claims in this case in terms of price impacts, clarified their position on the weekend and said, 'This is not a forecast on price impacts,' which is a considerable change.

The fact of the matter is this: as we've said before, it is time for Australia to catch up with the rest of the world. These standards were introduced in the United States in 1975, in Japan in 1985, in China in 2005, in South Korea in 2006, in the European Union in 2009, in Canada—a country with similarities and differences to Australia—in 2011, in Mexico in 2013, in India in 2014, in Saudi Arabia in 2016 and in New Zealand in 2023.

It's also the case that those opposite could ask us why we aren't going further, because the model that the minister for transport and I are proposing has lesser standards than those in New Zealand and Europe.

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

Fifteen grand for a HiLux!

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

Order! The Leader of the Opposition and the Treasurer will cease interjecting.

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

We are being less onerous in terms of what we're asking car companies to do. The minister for transport I have also been consulting widely with industry. We didn't have to do that. We could have just introduced legislation and pushed it through. We run a consultative government which listens to people, works with people and takes on board sensible suggestions as to how we can best implement our policies. That's exactly what the minister for transport and I have been doing—working with those in the industry who do recognise the need to bring better and more fuel efficient cars to Australia and recognise that government leadership is important to help them do so.