Louise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Hansard source

The strain on families is severe, with many truck drivers divorcing because the strain is too much. We also need to remember that many truck drivers are owner-operators who have taken out substantial mortgages so they can cover the cost of their rigs, which are replaced approximately every five years.

We have the Rudd Labor government now wanting to add to the burden and increase heavy vehicle registration fees plus the effective rate of the diesel fuel excise, also known as a road user charge. This would place additional pressure on truck drivers across Australia who already feel the strain. But I am pleased to say both of these increases were rejected by the opposition in the Senate. The Labor government misled the community when they announced the $70 million heavy vehicle safety and production plan and failed to mention it was contingent on the Senate passing these changes. They forgot to mention that the funding for this $70 million package would come from the $70 million collected from these charges imposed on truck drivers. These increased charges will be relayed to the cost of transport, which will flow on to our supermarket shelves. This will create even more pressure when trying to balance the family budget. The Rudd Labor government try to paint themselves as a caring government who want to put people first, but only through scrutinising their bills do we find their true intentions—to take with the one hand and give back with other.

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