Talkback radio host Ray Hadley has criticized Chris Bowen after Anthony Albanese made an extraordinary intervention in his electric car mandate plan that could have seen the price of Australia’s best-selling cars rise.
Labour’s lofty emissions reduction targets under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), led by Climate Change Minister Mr Bowen, sparked a backlash from carmakers, motoring groups and trading nations such as Thailand and Japan.
Mr Bowen and Transport Minister Catherine King will unveil an updated NVES on Tuesday, which is expected to be a watered-down version that will mainly benefit the manufacturers that produce Australia’s three best-selling vehicles.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Australian Automobile Association were particularly vocal in their criticism and were excluded from a recent top-level NVES meeting.
There were concerns that heavier vehicles such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max and some SUVs could cost thousands of dollars more for consumers under the new NVES rules, as no viable hybrid or electric alternatives are yet available.
The mitigation, which is said to have been introduced since Mr Albanese became involved, follows a similar dilution by Joe Biden in the US, with brands that make larger vehicles such as Ford, RAM, Chevrolet and GMC able to benefit from exemptions.
Mr. Albanese’s office reportedly became involved in the negotiations last week in an effort to smooth over deteriorating relations between his government and the auto industry and auto groups.
“Casanova Bowen has been sidelined as he should have been,” Hadley told 2GB on Tuesday.
Ray Hadley has let go of Chris Bowen after his new vehicle efficiency standard was reversed amid concerns that Australia’s best-selling cars would rise in price because there are no hybrid or electric alternatives yet
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese got involved in smoothing out the plan after a similar move in the US by Joe Biden to relax targets for makers of larger vehicles
Hadley sent the backflip flying to Mr. Bowen.
“I have to tell the Prime Minister, I wish I could tell him in person, if you put your hands around Casanova Bowen’s neck, it will end in tears,” Hadley said.
“I call him Casanova because over the years he’s touched everything, well, you know what he’s done to it.
“Whether it’s immigration, whether it’s this, or any other portfolio he’s been close to.
‘HHe has been in government service all his life and has never worked a day in his life. He came straight from university to be the spitfire for several Labor MPs in Sydney and then of course went to Federal Parliament.
‘WWhatever you do against him, you will eventually have to do a mea culpa and say: wait a minute, he has gone a bit too far, we will change things.’
Under the revised NVES, automakers that make these larger vehicles can make concessions on their emissions by adopting other environmentally friendly technologies, such as aerodynamic improvements or green air conditioning gases.
SUVs that use the same chassis and powertrain as these vehicles, such as the Toyota Landcruiser, Ford Everest and Isuzu MUX, will also be classified as light commercial vehicles, allowing them to benefit from relaxed emissions reduction targets.
The concessions are deemed not to apply to normal passenger cars.
Labor wants a 60 percent cut in new car emissions by 2029, which will force carmakers to rapidly expand their hybrid and EV models
The Isuzu D-Max, Australia’s third best-selling car, will be among the cars to benefit from the revised scheme
The government targeted a 60 percent reduction in emissions from new cars by 2029 under the previous plan, with carmakers needing to quickly sell more hybrid and electric vehicles.
In arguing for his version of NVES, Mr Bowen said Australia is already behind much of the world in implementing better fuel standards.
“There has not been a rise in car prices in any country where this has been introduced in the last 50 years,” he said.
“Australians deserve these better choices. It’s long overdue for Australia, and that’s why… we’ve taken a very measured approach, but it’s a reform that’s long overdue.”
It is estimated that cars in Australia use 20 percent more fuel than comparable vehicles in the US.
The government’s preferred model for fuel standards would see Australia overtake the US average in efficiency by 2028, just three years after it was implemented.
“This is an ambitious approach, but one that is needed to give Australia more choice to use less petrol,” said a government analysis document released in February.
Mr Bowen said while the government was open to amendments, he dismissed opposition to the proposal as a scare campaign.
“If there are sensible suggestions that are consistent with the approach we have taken so far, we will consider them,” he said.
“But we will provide better choices, cheaper cars and lower emissions cars for Australians, which previous governments should have done years ago.”
The NVES legislation will be implemented later this year and the scheme will come into effect on January 1, 2025.
