Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I quite like Senator Conroy’s interjections because they put on the record his ignorance about this issue. The car manufacturers will be delighted to know that the person who represents the Treasurer in this place has no idea about the history or the impact of the luxury car tax.

Time is short, but my opposition colleagues and I will have a lot more to say in relation to this legislation if it reaches the committee stage. This is a punitive tax, it is an unfair tax and it will most of all impact on Australian workers and Australian car manufacturers at a time when we have just seen Mitsubishi close and General Motors and Ford struggling. But the one company that has a windfall is the multinational Toyota Motor Corporation, which has made record profits in recent times. This is the Australian Labor Party’s stewardship over the car industry. We believe that it is appalling. We believe that this impost needs to be opposed, and we will be doing so. (Time expired)