‘Brakes’ on registration costs: Labor’s latest election pledge tackles cost-of-living

Labor leader Dean Winter wants to ease the cost-of-living pressures on young people but also fix the ‘budget crisis’. HIS PLAN >>>

Labor Tasmania leader Dean Winter announces rego freeze for Tasmanians, plus discounted rego for apprentices. Picture: Tasmania Labor

Labor Party leader Dean Winter is determined to balance fixing the budget with easing cost-of-living pressures for Tasmanians, according to his latest announcement.

On Tuesday, Mr Winter announced a freeze on car registration costs in Tasmania from December should a Labor government be elected.

“Tasmanian Labor under my leadership wants to put the brakes on car registration costs,” he said.

“Today, I announce that we’d freeze the costs of car registration for Tasmanian standard vehicles for 12 months. We’ll do it because we know Tasmanians are doing it tough. Households budgets are being strangled under power prices, car registrations, groceries, petrol, you name it.”

Labor Tasmania leader Dean Winter announces rego freeze for Tasmanians, plus discounted rego for apprentices. Picture: Tasmania Labor

Tasmanian apprentices will get half off their registration.

For hairdressing apprentice Ellen Felmingham this means her rego will go from a $600 bill to $300.

“I’m living paycheck to paycheck,” she said.

“I have to budget out my pay and it’s a huge impact.”

Even with a $300 savings, Ms Felmingham said the money would just go back on bills.

“I’d not be stressed out every night before I go to bed thinking how I am going to keep a roof over my head and feed myself tomorrow,” she said.

Mr Winter said every policy implemented needed to be “affordable”.

“I would love to extend this further, but the simple fact is, we’re in a budget crisis,” he said.

“We’ve identified $1 billion worth of savings. This policy will cost $12 million, so we’re well under that.”

Mr Winter said it the cost-of-living crisis was serious.

“I’m acutely aware from speaking to Tasmanians they’re under enormous cost-of-living stress at the moment,” he said.

“We’ve got young apprentices struggling to pay their bills, but we’ve got people all over our economy who are struggling. That’s why we’ll freeze car rego for 12 months.”

Originally published as ‘Brakes’ on registration costs: Labor’s latest election pledge tackles cost-of-living