Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

There are a couple of points. Firstly, apparently a 25 per cent luxury car tax is good, because that is what the proposition put forward over there is, but a 33 per cent tax will suddenly cause a collapse in the car industry for four years. Let us be clear about this: this is an estimate based over four years, and even those opposite would not want to try to suggest that the car sector is going to experience negative growth for four years. If that is your proposition, that is fine. If you want to make a simple point for debating purposes, that is fine, but let us not embarrass the debate by trying to assert that your belief is that the car sector is going to have negative growth for four years. But if that is your assumption, as you are trying to assert to Senator Xenophon, then, please, at least come out and say that that is the case, because this is a figure based over four years. According to you, there would be negative growth in the car sector for four years. I just want to get that on the record.