Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal) Amendment Bill

Members, we now come to our final debate, clauses 1 and 2, “Title” and “Commencement”.

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is the final part of the debate. There are two simple clauses that we are debating here: the title and the commencement. The title is: “This Act is the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal) Amendment Act 2023.” I note there are a number of proposals on the Table—the Government won’t be supporting any of them.

The commencement is: “[The] Act comes into force on 1 January 2024.” This has been long signalled. This was what the Government campaigned on. This was what people have had clearly signalled, and we will not be extending that at all. I see there’s a range of other amendments on the Table, but we campaigned on this policy; we are now delivering on this policy.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Minister for those comments. It’s interesting to hear this common rhetoric that, you know, “We’re doing this as a Government because we campaigned on it.” Yes, there is some sense to that, but it also, I think, needs to be considered alongside other campaign commitments which were not campaigned on but suddenly are making their way through at some stage to become laws—and, you know, we think of things like smoke-free generations. So it’s interesting that those sort of comments from the Minister I think need to be taken in the context for which the rules currently operate.

Madam Chair, I know that this is a very discrete component of the bill, and I have two proposed amendments on the tabled amendment paper. The first one relates to the title, and I think one of the really interesting things—and we’ve covered this off as a House whilst we’ve been sitting in urgency—is around the title of a bill or a piece of legislation. It’s really important because it signals, actually, what is in the provisions that are in the bill or the legislation. I think, when we look at what the current title is, the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal) Amendment Bill, doesn’t—well, it might reflect what it actually does, but I don’t think, actually, it reflects what it means. So the tabled amendment in my name for clause 1 is to replace that with “Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal (Taking No Action on Climate Change) Amendment Bill”. I think that really does sum it up, because what we have in front of us is a series of suggestions that the committee has gone through that really do reflect the position of the new Government, and that is one where the Government is not prepared to take any action on climate change.

The reason why that’s an appropriate title is because all of the things that are contained in all of the clauses within this bill lend themselves to stupid types of decisions—decisions that are not going in any direction to support households and communities to look at their emissions profile and to make some real positive decisions in that space. So the suggested change to the title of the bill to the “Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal (Taking No Action on Climate Change) Amendment Bill” is a very good name, and I do hope that members of the committee will support that. It is reflective of the current Government’s position, and I look forward to support from members.

The second is an amendment to clause 2, which would seek to replace the commencement date. Currently, the commencement date is quite specific. It’s 1 January 2024. It differs from some other bills where it relates to the day after Royal assent or something like that. I do think that having a specific date, if we’re to head down this path, is helpful. I think that the suggestion of replacing that 1 January 2024 with 1 January 2025 is very helpful, and I hope that members will be supportive of both of those clause changes.

Members, as agreed by the Business Committee, it’s time for me to report progress back to the Speaker. So I just ask for some silence as we get the House prepared for some maiden speeches.

House resumed.

Mr Speaker, the committee has considered the Land Transport (Clean Vehicle Discount Scheme Repeal) Amendment Bill and reports progress. I move, That the report be adopted.

Motion agreed to.

Report adopted.