Ross Cadell (NSW, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions without notice asked by the coalition today.

Coming into this place many moons ago we had question time. The answers were there—there were not many in the gallery there. Minister Wong is a very serious person. I take her answers seriously. I take her actions seriously. I note she was asked two very clear questions, they were the first two questions today, by Senator McKenzie: Can we guarantee that no Australian car will cost more because of the changes to the taxation regime on SUVs and emission standards? Can we guarantee the same choice? Because Senator Wong respects this place, because she takes things seriously, I note she didn't give a fluff answer but she didn't answer those questions, because she can't. There are no guarantees able to be given about what happens to the car industry across Australia.

Instead, the answer given was she could guarantee more Australians more choice. Is that more choice amongst the 64 per cent of EVs that are built by China? Is that more choice amongst all of the EVs that can't be built without components from China? Or is that more choice of the cars we don't yet have and won't be able to build for up to five years in countries that aren't controlled by China, which has 80 per cent of the cathode industry? She said there was no guarantee of loss of choice of vehicles because we give people the cars they want. I notice if you go out and try to buy a hybrid RAV4 you're waiting approximately eight to 12 months because that is a car people want. It is available now. It is viable now.

I note that the car I want, a Ford Explorer, which I ordered in September 2022, landed in Australia on 21 March, just last week. It has taken almost 20 months to get here because that is the car people want. People can get the cars they want now. People can choose the cars they want. If they want EVs, they can buy EVs. We have the Dolphin, a BYD car—the cheapest around.

This is nothing more than a tax. This is a tax on the tradies who need utes. You can't put all of your tilt trays, all of your tools, all of your cement mixers in the back of your Toyota Corolla. You can't put them in the back of your Tesla model Y. If you want to get a Tesla Cybertruck, that's fine but you need about 250 grand to buy the Tesla Cybertruck in the first place.

So what are we doing? We're taxing the cars that make Australia work. We're taxing the vehicles that let Australia get the job done and build a better tomorrow. Why are we doing this? Because it is another opportunity to put levies on people and to get them to drive what the government wants them to drive, own what the government wants them to own and do what the government wants them to do.

As part of this new transparent wonderful government, we asked to see the modelling used to grant this. There was even a question asked by somebody else. The original modelling said there would be about a 60 per cent reduction by 2029. Can we have the new modelling under the new watered-down agreement? No, we can't even get that. We can't even get what the goals of this policy are now it has been watered down. Remember, every group that consulted on this—all the manufacturers, the vehicle bodies, everyone—had to sign non-disclosure agreements. So they can't tell the people of Australia, the parliament of Australia or anyone the effect it will have, because their hands are tied and their throats are gagged from saying what will happen to Australia.

I noticed, in answer to a different question about housing from Senator Bragg, Senator Gallagher stated, 'We are proud of setting a target.' Labor are never going to achieve a target, but they are proud of setting one. It is like reading books from Jeffrey Archer—'Oh, the stars. How great they are. We may never reach them but how better we are for having them there.' 'Let's set a target and then forget about it' is what Labor are telling us. But they won't tell us the target on EVs now they have watered down their policy. They say, 'We're going to do something. We're not going to tell you what we're going to do or how much it's going to cost, but we're going to tell Australians what to drive.' What a great policy! This is what we are all about here. This is the new clear, beautiful, transparent government: 'Do what we tell you but don't ask us to tell you what we're doing.' I note those questions. I note that this will cause higher prices for cars in Australia, not lower prices for fuel.