Car costs key as PM officially kicks off election campaign
The “car wars” have started the firing gun for this year’s federal election, with Labor accusing the Coalition of the “dumbest and loopiest scare campaign in Australian political history” over its attack on Bill Shorten’s plan to slash car emissions.
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The “car wars” have started the firing gun for this year’s federal election.
Victoria’s police force would be forced to spend $10 million upgrading its car fleet under Bill Shorten’s plan to slash car emissions, according to government analysis released this week.
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Labor has accused the Coalition of the “dumbest and loopiest scare campaign in Australian political history” over its attack.
It comes as Mr Shorten faces more scrutiny over his relationship with a Chinese businessman and former ALP donor linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
Photographs emerged on Wednesday of the Labor leader at the wedding of Huang Xiangmo’s daughter.
Mr Huang has been at the centre of a cash-for-access scandal, having sought Australian citizenship but was later denied after intervention from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.
Energy Minister Angus Taylor on Wednesday sharpened attacks on Mr Shorten, claiming motorists would pay $5000 more on average for petrol cars and Victoria Police would have a multi-million bill to upgrade its fleet. But the Coalition Government is now distancing itself from its own report showing motorists would actually save $500 plus in fuel costs a year from Labor’s policy.
The study, completed three years ago by the Department of Infrastructure, said the savings in petrol and diesel would outweigh the upfront cost in more expensive vehicles.
Another report by the Centre for International Economics — which the government has relied on for its analysis — also showed the savings were bigger than the costs.
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The Coalition’s attack comes despite Treasurer Josh Frydenberg previously spruiking vehicle emissions standards as part of the government’s plan to reduce emissions.
Mr Taylor said Mr Shorten had “not thought through their radical policy and its unintended consequences”.
“Under Labor’s extreme green plans, there are no exemptions for emergency service vehicles. Even our police forces will be hit.”
Opposition energy spokesman Mark Butler said Labor’s policy would save motorists hundreds of dollars a year in petrol costs.
“It’s not just Labor saying that — the government’s own report says that, and Josh Frydenberg says that,” he said.
“This is peak stupid from the Liberals. The dumbest and loopiest scare campaign in Australian political history.”
Originally published as Car costs key as PM officially kicks off election campaign
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