2021-09-15
Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young will drive a plan to manufacture electric vehicles in her home state and encourage a national incentive scheme to accelerate the uptake of EVs, as the party’s new portfolio holder.
Senator Hanson-Young said:
“I’m committed to taking up the fight for EVs in Australia. Today’s electric cars are smart, comfortable and better for the environment - and I can’t lie, the acceleration is awesome.
“Australia is lagging behind the rest of world on both climate action and the take up of electric vehicles, held back by the obstructionist policies of the Morrison Government. It’s time for us to pick up the pace. Australia needs a nation-wide electric car plan to drive us forward.
“Rather than taxes on EVs we need incentives for drivers to switch form polluting vehicles to green transport options.
“With a national plan for EVs we can not only incentivise their uptake, reduce emissions and help our planet, we can create jobs by making the cars of the future right here.
“What better place to revitalise our car manufacturing than in South Australia which continues to feel the impacts of the closure of Holden on the Coalition Government’s watch.
“Investing in local manufacturing would create thousands of jobs and not just any jobs but clean, green sustainable jobs.
“If we are going to reach net zero emissions by 2035 – which we must if we are to have any chance of staying below 1.5 degrees of warming, then we urgently need to increase the uptake of EVs. With national incentives we can drive down the cost of EVs and in turn, drive down emissions.
“We just need the political will, not naysayer, climate deniers like those in the Morrison Government. Prime Minister Morrison was wrong when he declared electric cars would ‘end the weekend’ – he was wrong, out-of-touch and globally embarrassing. I challenge the Prime Minister to come for a spin in an EV. He might just find the right gear and steer Australia in the right direction when it comes electrifying our transport systems.”