The New Vehicle Efficiency Standards: An Unjust Burden on Families
DCD Comment
The newly enacted Vehicle Efficiency Standards (NVES) will significantly increase the cost of SUVs, utes, and four-wheel drives, imposing an undue financial burden on Australian families. This legislation, which aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new vehicles, is effectively a punitive tax on popular family cars.
Despite claims that the NVES will promote low and zero-emissions vehicles, the law will penalize automotive dealers selling higher-emission vehicles while rewarding those who sell cleaner alternatives. The Federal government has allocated $85.5 million (US$56.4 million) to establish a regulatory body to monitor vehicle emissions data as part of the 2024-2025 budget.
Nationals Senator for Victoria, Bridget McKenzie, criticized the legislation, highlighting that it passed the Senate without any meaningful debate. According to Senator McKenzie, the refusal of the Labor party to allow second reading speeches and their blocking of attempts to refer the legislation to a Senate inquiry reflects a lack of transparency and democratic process.
Senator McKenzie voiced concerns that the NVES would add thousands of dollars to the cost of many popular SUVs, utes, and four-wheel drives. At a time when families are already grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, this legislation will exacerbate their financial strain. She argued that this policy would also discourage families from upgrading to newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles, thereby hindering efforts to reduce transport emissions.
Furthermore, the Coalition cannot support a policy that unfairly targets the vehicles Australians prefer to drive. A more effective approach would be a technology-neutral strategy that promotes innovation and flexibility in achieving net zero emissions, rather than imposing restrictive and costly measures on consumers.
We are slowly becoming a Communist Country because the Govt just goes ahead Legislating every thing they want without debate.
We don’t need zero emissions. Carbon dioxide is a trace gas, 0.04% of the atmosphere. Humans produce a tiny 5% of that and Australia produces a microscopic 2 1/2% of that 5%. In 50-100 years time they will look back and shake their heads at the sheer ignorance and stupidity that politicians are doing to destroy our economies and standard of living. Meanwhile China and India are building hundreds of coal fired power stations. They will look back and laugh.
I agree with Fred & Clive, we don’t need, or want, zero emissions. It seems the Libs/Nats have been brainwashed into net zero too. We get chaos in Parliament when we vote for ‘independents’, and dictatorships when either of the big two run the country. This country used to go through regular cycles, Labor increases taxes and spends up big on fringe groups, then the Libs come in and cut spending (good idea) to try and reign in the budget blowouts. Now we have two left leaning, even communist, major parties because the Libs lost their way and allowed infiltration of lefties into their ranks. It amazes me how stupid pollies can be to listen to so called ‘advisors’ who they pay a fortune to for advice, and get it wrong on almost every occasion. It was very noticeable as far back as the 70s that the left and Labor were stacking every conceivable Board and Committee with lefties.
There is never any mention by anyone that the earth is orbiting the sun 3 million kms closer than its normal orbit this time round, or that the earth’s axis is changing in relation to the sun, or that over the last 25 years the ozone layer is 28% worse than it was when CFCs were banned, proving we can’t believe the science about our atmosphere, and CFCs were banned 20 years before this study so the ban accomplished nothing other than to cost the citizens more money, typical.