MEDIA RELEASE - ALBANESE GOVERNMENT TRASHES PARLIAMENTARY ACCOUNTABILITY TO RAM ITS FAMILY CAR AND UTE TAX THROUGH THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

MEDIA RELEASE

16 May 2024

ALBANESE GOVERNMENT TRASHES PARLIAMENTARY ACCOUNTABILITY TO RAM ITS FAMILY CAR AND UTE TAX THROUGH THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

The Albanese Labor Government has rammed its poorly designed New Vehicle Efficiency Standard through the House of Representatives, guillotining debate and preventing the normal second reading and consideration in detail debates from occurring.

“This Bill will lead to price increases for many family cars and utes. On any view it will have an impact on millions of Australians – and it needs to be properly debated and considered before parliament votes on it,” Manager of Opposition Business in the House Paul Fletcher said.

“But Labor has trashed parliamentary accountability to ram through its controversial family car and ute tax.”

This move continues Labor’s dismal track record of consistently undermining the role and effectiveness of the House of Representatives. This has included:

• Upon coming to government in 2022, Labor issued a sitting timetable which saw the parliament sit for only 40 days in 2022, compared to 67 days in 2021.
• Labor scheduled only 17 sitting weeks in 2024, a very light program by historical standards.
• The Prime Minister cancelled a sitting week in September 2022, citing the death of Queen Elizabeth II as his excuse.
• He also cancelled a sitting week in October 2023, citing his overseas travel plans as his excuse.
• The Albanese Government answered 43 per cent fewer questions from the Opposition during question time in 2023 in the House of Representatives than the previous Coalition Government answered.

Media contact: William Sparling | 0416 628 276 | [email protected]