David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To those in the gallery, it is not always this bad but often it is. My question is to the Minister representing to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Senator Watt. In August the government said that you would complete an impact analysis and release details of your fuel efficiency standards before the end of this year. Given that we have fewer than three sitting days left and three weeks to Christmas, when can we expect to see the standards released?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKenzie thinks it is such an excellent question that she never quite gets around to asking it herself. That's because the Nationals never get a question in question time in the Senate anymore, and maybe Thursday the last question might go to the Nationals—after Senator Lambie.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt! Please resume your seat. I will ask you to address Senator Pocock's question and to direct your comments to the chair. Minister Watt, please resume your seat, and no interjections from you, thank you, Senator McKenzie. Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pocock, you are right. The Albanese government is committed to delivering fuel efficiency standards, something that should have happened in Australia a very long time ago, and we have previously committed to delivering those standards as soon as possible. We did also say that we would take the time to get the design right. We hoped that it would be completed at the end of this year but the reality is it is a complex matter and it may stretch into the new year but we are firmly committed to getting this in place as quickly as we can. For anyone who is wondering about why it hasn't been done yet I, again, invite you to take a look at those opposite, because it was those opposite whose attitude to electric vehicles was that they would 'end the weekend', so for 10 years we had no action whatsoever under the coalition to do anything about electric vehicles, anything about fuel efficiency standards. What that has resulted in is Australia joining Russia as one of the only advanced economies without fuel efficiency standards. What an effort to congratulate yourselves on after 10 years of government, being right in line with Russia in delivering no fuel efficiency standards because you preferred to run around and run ridiculous campaigns about electric vehicles 'ending the weekend'.

Senator Pocock, I can assure you that this is something that the Albanese government takes seriously. We are committed to delivering those standards. In the meantime, what we've done is get electric vehicle sales up from two per cent of new car sales when we when came to office to almost nine per cent for the first three-quarters of this year. Now, more than two-thirds of the electric vehicles on Australia's roads today have been added under this government in only 18 months period of time. We've made electric vehicles cheaper. We've got more public chargers out in Australia. We're getting more choice into the market, and we'll be delivering fuel efficiency standards as well. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator David Pocock, a first supplementary?

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister Watt. You mentioned complexity. Why are they so complex that we have to wait so long? We've seen two tranches of IR legislation. We've seen other very complex legislation. Every other OECD country, bar Russia, who I think is currently suspended from the OECD, has these. Copying and pasting would be a good start. Why are we having to wait so long for these standards that were promised?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm just waiting, Minister, for Senator McKenzie once again to stop her interjections which are disorderly. Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can understand why Senator McKenzie needs to interject so much, because she is so embarrassed about the fact that in 10 years of coalition government we didn't see any movement on these issues.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, I am going to draw you to Senator Pocock's question. Thank you.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, I, of course, respect your ruling. The question was: why has it taken so long to deliver these fuel efficiency standards? The reality is that not only is this a complex matter but, as in so many areas affecting climate policy and right across the policy spectrum, we saw a complete blank slate on this picture when we came to office. We were run for 10 years by a group of people who thought that electric vehicles—actually, they didn't think that electric vehicles would end the weekend; they just went out and said that to try and scare people off. We've grabbed the ball, and we're running with it by doing the hard work that's necessary to deliver these fuel efficiency standards. That is why, in the meantime, as I say—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Senator Lambie, on a point of order?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think part of that question was that he just wants to know whether it's coming before Christmas time.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, that's not helpful. Minister Watt, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Lambie. Actually, in my first answer, I made the point that it was going to stretch into the new year because it is a big job. It is something we want to get right, but in the meantime—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Pocock, a second supplementary?

David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

():  Minister, too many of the people who we represent are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis. Recent analysis from the Climate Council on electric vehicles shows that Australians could individually save up to $1,200 per year or $10,000 over the vehicle's lifetime on running costs with strong fuel efficiency standards. When will we actually get these standards? You are saying it will be in the new year now. You had said it would be in December. What do we say to Australians when they ask?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Pocock. As I've already indicated in an answer to a different question, we absolutely understand that cost-of-living pressures is the number one issue facing Australians right now. I also agree with your view that delivering lower emission vehicles, electric vehicles, is an important way of assisting Australians to deal with what are otherwise petrol price rises that we see all too regularly. We are working on the fuel efficiency standards, but I reiterate the point that that's not the only thing we're doing. We've already got electric vehicle sales up—I gave you the figures—from two per cent of new car sales when we came to office to almost nine per cent for the first three-quarters of this year. We've made electric vehicles cheaper by cutting taxes on electric vehicles. That can save up to $11,000 a year on a $50,000 electric vehicle, and leasing an electric vehicle like a Tesla model 3 can now cost less month-to-month than leasing a similar petrol vehicle like a Mazda 3. As well, we are delivering more public chargers. So after 10 years of doing nothing and rubbishing the idea, we're getting on with it. (Time expired)