The Albanese Labor government recently announced a national vehicle emissions scheme, which will impose heavy penalties on some of Australia’s favourite large family cars and work vehicles.
It is clear that this new policy is not a true efficiency standard – it’s a tax.
Australia’s top three best-selling vehicles in 2023 were utes – the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hi-Lux and Isuzu D-Max.
They now face a carbon penalty of up to $17,950 for the Ranger, $14,490 for the Hi-lux and $13,830 for the D-Max respectively by 2029.
If you are a tradie and you’re buying new utes for work, such as the Ranger, the Albanese government’s family car tax is going to drive up the cost by thousands of dollars.
Compounding this, industry analysis shows that the cost of Australian families’ favourite vehicles could increase by up to $25,000, for Four Wheel Drives like the Toyota Landcruiser, under Labor’s proposed family car tax.
Australians are already struggling in a cost-of-living crisis, this policy put forth by the Albanese government has the potential to put so many cars out of reach of family budgets.
It will also have a tremendous impact on the new vehicle market which contributes $3.9 billion to the Queensland economy and $18.6 billion nationally.
Labor’s family car and ute tax will threaten 13,208 local jobs across Queensland which will have a disastrous impact on the 703 local dealerships in the state.
This new tax will do more harm to families, than it will in helping to reduce emissions.
By making new cars more expensive to buy, many Australians will keep their current car for longer, or choose a second-hand car, resulting in an older and less efficient national fleet.
Labor’s tax will reduce the choice of vehicles available to locals in Logan, force up the price of Australia’s top-selling cars and put local jobs at risk.
We must strike the correct balance between minimising costs, reducing emissions and maximising choice for all Australians.
The last thing Australian’s need during a cost-of-living crisis is a big new tax on their favourite family cars and utes.
