Tom French (Moore, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I rise in support of this motion. This debate is often made far more complicated than it needs to be. It is not about telling Australians what they must drive; it is about giving Australians more choice, more competition and cheaper options to run. If someone wants to drive a petrol car, they can. If someone needs a diesel ute for work, they can get one. If someone wants an electric vehicle, they should be able to buy one at a competitive price, with proper charging infrastructure and without Australia being treated as an afterthought by the global car market. That is what the Albanese Labor government is doing. We've cut taxes on electric vehicles, we've introduced the new vehicle efficiency standard and we are investing in charging infrastructure. We are bringing Australia into line with the rest of the developed world. Australian families should not be left with fewer choices, older technology and higher fuel bills because our market was allowed to fall behind.

When we talk about electric vehicles, batteries, charging and the grid, I do not just hear a policy debate. As a qualified electrician, I see switchboards, metres, cabling, apprentices, tradespeople, workshops and service vehicles. This is a real transition in the way households and businesses use energy. Australians already understand that because they live with rooftop solar. Families have looked at power bills, looked at their roofs and made a practical decision. They did not wait for permission from Canberra. They have done it because it stacks up. Today, rooftop solar is providing more than 10 per cent of Australia's electricity, and that is a remarkable achievement. It is not just about technology; it is about households taking control of their energy costs.

Electric vehicles are part of that same change. More homes have solar. More homes are installing batteries. More families are thinking about how they can use power generated here rather than petrol bought at the bowser and priced through international markets. And there is a pretty simple advantage in that. The sun over Joondalup does not get delayed in the Strait of Hormuz. The wind off Sorrento Beach does not check the oil price before it turns up to work. That is the practical benefit of using more Australian energy generated here to run more of our homes and our vehicles.

This matters in the outer suburbs and the regions. In places like Joondalup, Edgewater, Currambine and Iluka, and across all of Perth's northern suburbs, people drive long distances for work, school, sport and family commitments. Fuel costs are a real weekly household expense. People who drive further should have more options to save on fuel, not fewer.

This is why the new vehicle efficiency standard matters. It is not about forcing anyone into a particular car; it is about making sure manufacturers bring their best, most efficient and most affordable vehicles to Australia. For too long, Australia was at the back of the queue. Other countries got the cleaner, cheaper-to-run models first, while Australia was expected to take whatever was left. That is not good enough. The standard is helping change that. More electric, hybrid and efficient vehicles are coming into the Australian market. There is more choice and there is more competition, and more of those choices are becoming realistic for working households.

The electric car discount has also helped. It has made electric vehicles more accessible, including through novated leases and workplace arrangements. Early support helps build a market, but it also needs to be fair and sustainable. That is why the government is refocusing the discount over time towards more affordable vehicles. This should not be seen to be about subsidising luxury cars; it is about bringing cheaper-to-run vehicles within reach of more Australians.

We're also investing in the infrastructure needed to make this work. Chargers matter. Regional black spots matter. Kerbside charging matters. Dealerships, repairers and servicing capability matter. As a former electrician, I know this much: the wires do not connect themselves. You need skilled workers, proper standards and a plan that goes beyond a headline.

Those opposite say they support choice, but they would abolish the new vehicle efficiency standard. They would abolish the electric vehicle tax cut. They would abolish the support for home batteries. In other words, they support choice right up until Australians start choosing something they do not like. They cannot say they want lower fuel bills while opposing the policies that give Australians access to more efficient cars. They cannot say they back households while trying to keep Australians at the back of the global vehicle queue. That is what this government is doing, and it's why I support the motion.

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