…
By Jo Nova
Australian Mums and Dads who want a petrol or diesel car will soon be effectively paying money to China to make EV’s cheaper for inner city socialites.
Make no mistake, despite the propaganda, Australia now has a carbon tax on petrol and diesel cars and the revenue will go straight to companies that sell EVs — which means the cash will flow to China more than anywhere else.
The news today:
“Mazda, Nissan, Hyundai and Subaru face multi-million-dollar penalties under NVES”
by Jake Evans, the ABC
The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) requires car makers to meet emissions limits on the total cars they sell each year, incurring a $50 liability for every gram of CO2/km over that limit, which must be paid as a penalty or traded with greener car makers that accrued credits.
The liabilities are due to be paid in three years’ time, meaning the car makers can also reduce their liability by selling more cleaner cars in the next two years.
In the first six months of the NVES, Mazda has incurred a $25.4 million liability, Subaru a $7 million liability, Nissan a $10.8 million liability and Hyundai a $4.2 million liability.
President Xi will be very happy.
BYD and rivals bank millions in Australia’s carbon credit car scheme NVES
By Danielle Collis, News.com.au
China’s BYD has emerged as the biggest winner of the Federal Government’s green car push, amassing millions of tradeable carbon credits in the first official results under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).
According to the NVES unit holdings table, BYD’s two regulated entities generated 4,234,294 credits and 2,048,530 credits respectively in just six months, more than 6.2 million in total.
Several other Chinese automakers also recorded substantial surpluses, including Chery (438,633), Great Wall Motor (405,198), SAIC Motors (377,601), Zhejiang Geely (620,233) and Zeekr (259,440).
The secret car tax is all lies and deception
Everything about the NVES is designed to confuse and conceal what is really happening.
This tax won’t be listed on your receipts. The government is forcing car manufacturers to be the tax collectors. The carbon credits will work like a subsidy but are not listed as one. The price rises come in 3 years time (after the next election). Or they come silently as manufacturers give up selling their cars in Australia. One day, you’ll go to a car yard and the only options left will be expensive to buy or expensive to run.
The Labor Party could have put a simple tax on cars for their carbon emissions — but people would have understood that and rebelled. Instead they copied the British ZEV and American CAFE standards schemes where car makers are punished or paid for their average fleet emissions. A car company that sells too many petrol cars compared to electric cars has to buy “carbon credits” from another company that sold more electric cars.
It has the illusion of being a free market — but it’s a tiny kernel of free enterprise wrapped in a Giant Communist Squid. Perhaps they hope some politicians don’t run an “Axe The Carbon Tax” campaign and win 90 seats in the next election?
Basically, carmakers selling popular petrol and diesel cars will have to raise their prices to cover the cost of buying the NVES credits. So those cars will cost more, and the extra money the customer pays will be fed to the companies that mostly sell EV’s, — let’s all say “China”.
The Government spins the NVES
Is your lie detector buzzing? The government says the NVES helps to: “save you money at the bowser.” It doesn’t say it’s at the expense of other Australians, or it only applies to people rich enough to buy an EV, or who ideally own their own garage and solar panels.
The government says “they give you more choice of new cars that are fuel-efficient, low or zero emissions” [but they don’t day they take away your choice to buy the cheapest or best car for your family]
The government pretends the NVES” reduces transport emissions, improving the air that you and your family breathe.” They don’t say that EV’s are heavier, add more tyre dust and microplastic pollution to the air, and pollute lakes in China. Nor do they mention the koalas being clubbed and the forests razed to install the “cleaner” turbines,
If the poor are not subsidizing the rich in Sydney, then the money just flows to Chinese oligarchs so they can buy themselves another Super-Yacht, and who knows, make some back-door donations to the ALP?
Australians would be angry about the NVES if they knew what was coming….
h/t Bally
Efficiency standards work. Compare the efficiency of a European car versus the US built one. Because of the lack of standards, Australia has been a dumping ground for higher polluting vehicles that can’t be sold elsewhere. The engine of a Ford Ranger in Australia is very different from the European model.
185
When Simon says “pollution” just substitute the word “fertilizer” and see how that paragraph looks. CO2 is the only “pollution” that feeds plants, increases crop yields, and protects plants from droughts.
WE don’t need standards to clean up a gift from Mother Nature.
813
Hear Hear Jo, the sensible among us are campaigning for an increasing CO2 and hoping that the atmospheric levels that are needed for the “greening” of this planet and increasing crop yields required for an increasing population, around 800-1000ppm, can survive this “CO2 pollution” madness that is destroying our economy and our future.
There is no “science” that is replicable and conclusive that demonstrates that increasing levels of Human CO2 emissions will cause “catastrophic global Warming”. There are one or two hypotheses that have been around since the 1860s (Tyndall) that this could happen, but the real world data continues to deny it.
We are being gaslit, much to our detriment.
440
I’ll bet that the red arrow to your comment came from simple Simon!!
210
I never used the word “pollution”….
Efficiency is about getting the highest utilisation possible out of a scarce resource. If you want to talk about CO2, we have a limited budget that we have to keep to. The effects of CO2 on climate far outweigh the CO2 fertilisation effect which can only occur when there is sufficient plant availability to nitrogen, phosphorous, and water.
266
391
You know perfectly well that carbon dioxide and water vapour are not all that is emitted by internal combustion engines. Fuel efficiency is a desirable goal. Just because Simion is in favour of it does not make it wrong.
13
You used the adjective polluting. So Carbon Dioxide is pollution?
All humans, all living things are internal combustion machines burning carbon dioxide hydrates back to CO2 and H2O.
Stop polluting! See how long you can hold your breath.
510
You said, ” Australia has been a dumping ground for higher polluting vehicles”, sure sounds like you’re talking about pollution to me.
300
Labor Minister Bowen has made a similar comment a number of times
50
Simon, really, the effects of CO2 on climate “far outweigh” the CO2 fertilisation effect. Does that statement also account for the natural CO2 emissions or is the minuscule human emissions the only devil in the detail? What is the measurable/measured effect of CO2 on the climate of this Planet?
330
As I wrote to the local paper “With reluctance that I should take on J*W* but his claim that Australia must reduce its emissions alone is doubtful.
In 2015, Australia’s emissions were approximately 519.2 million tonnes, in 2024 Emissions: 446.4 million or 14% reduction.
In the same time Chinese emissions rose from 2015 to 2024, from 10,776,913 million tonnes to 15,800,000 million tons or roughly 47% increase. The USA increased emissions by 11%, India increased by 13.7%. A reduction by China of just 1% would offset Australian emissions by 27.2% (2022 figures). USA and India reducing emissions by 1% would offset Australian emissions by 16.2%.
The whole world increased emissions by 9% even through the EU managed a 19% decline along with loss of industries and recession, nay depression, and much hardship for the ordinary citizens. 161% of Australia’s emissions and that doesn’t seem to have changed the climate.
It seems that even if Australia reduced its emissions completely it wouldn’t make any difference to the climate.
NOTE: figures are the best I can find, even the EU “fiddles the books” by not counting emissions from burning wood or household rubbish. Nor Ireland where local peat cannot be burnt but 20,000 tons doesn’t get counted because it is imported from the EU. (where it isn’t counted because “it is exported”.
What I could add is that China and India are building EACH more coal-fired plants than exist in Australia.
240
00
Perhaps Simon would explain why European cars had better efficiency than US built ones back in the 1950’s and ’60s etc (before Efficiency standards were working.
190
Smaller roads, smaller cars and higher fuel taxes are all big incentives for European car makers to build small fuel efficient ICE cars.
320
The US cars produced more fertiliser because it was a more free, richer, less-taxed, more pro-free-enterprise society that could afford to produce more luxurious items than highly-regulated, highly-taxed, less free old-world Europe.
Don’t forget, freedom from the multiple restrictions of Europe was the reason the United States was founded in the first place. That’s why the Left hate the United States and all it stands for.
420
A few years ago the CEO of Toyota Australia suggested that US Standards be adopted here, not European
60
Because the European ones had teensy little engines that couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding.
310
Before I retired I was on business in France and Germany and a local contact picked me up from a hotel for a long drive to a small village and manufacturing business, his Citroen was medium size but the diesel engine was of very low power and torque capacity. He was at times embarrassed as a driver when his company car was struggling to move four adults and luggage
80
Does that also apply to pudding if the rice comes from China?
Each year now, China grows more than 27 times as much rice as Australia does. That is a big difference in calculations for skin peeled back. Geoff S
10
(Trigger warning for Leftists. ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ ⚠️ )
As they say, “there is no substitute for cubic inches”.
I’d rather have a larger, lazier, lower, stressed and longer-lasting V8 than a smaller, boosted, more complicated, over-stressed, shorter-life, four cylinder engine.
470
I have a Ram so I am biased. I have seen 1960s model F100s still hauling horse trailers from show to show. V8s last because they are lazy. I had a Turbo V6 Triton in 1996. It could give me 7km/l and it weighed 1.75 tonnes. The Ram weighs 2.75 tonnes and gives me 8km/l and on a 5000 km trip returned 10km/l. The Ram will outlast the electric BYD by many years.
I would like to see a whole of life comparison between an ICE vehicle and a similar size electric vehicle. What information is available favours the ICE vehicle so why do we force people to buy an inferior, more expensive and more environmentally damaging one. Stupidity springs to mind.
260
Lawrie,
Can we trust that you do not drive your RAM like the many others like RAM tradies who persist with sudden lane changes to fill the safe space that I try to keep ahead of my supercharged Statesman to lessen involvement in head-to-tail collisions are are far too frequent lately?
I gave you a green uptick for your comment in anticipation.
Geoff S
00
That is one reason why I selected an Isuzu diesel SUV with three litre engine instead of a Mitsubishi with much less cubic capacity.
I was replacing a Mitsubishi 4WD (I had two vehicles) and a truck diesel reconditioning business owner explained that hard working small capacity diesels relying on things like twin turbos are not lasting much more than 200,000 km as compared to the average well maintained of 500,000 kms plus
80
As they say, “there is no substitute for cubic inches”.
I heard it as “There’s no replacement for displacement.”
30
Simon,
It should worry you more that Australia is open to be a dumping ground for migrants now being refused entry to the US or sent back towards home because they were undesirable.
Put people trafficking as well as car trafficking into your equations. Geoff S
260
You appear to want rules applied to people coming into the country but none on vehicles. Racism and climate science denial always seems to go hand-in-hand. It’s a very peculiar mix.
.
[No rules around immigration and climate alarmism always seem to go hand in hand. Not peculiar because both are designed to destroy western civilisation. Controlling immigration is not racism.
No further comments on immigration. It’s off topic. – Raquel]
125
simon
you’ve been misled. It’s an elementary mistake. A US Gallon is only 3.8 litres. They just sound thirstier . [SNIP]
140
“Dumping ground” – my butt! Preference is more like it.
I was incredulous to see that in Singapore, one of our friends has a 1.6 litre Mazda 3. I mentioned that I thought my 2.5 litre Mazda 3 was barely sufficient. However, tax laws in Singapore and the fact that Singapore topography is nothing like Australia’s means that 1.6 litre is just fine.
Cut’n’paste Below:
Ford Ranger engines in Australia and Europe have significant differences, primarily driven by stricter emission regulations in Europe (Euro 7) compared to Australia, as well as differing consumer preferences for power over efficiency.
Here are the key differences between the Ford Ranger engines in Australia and Europe:
1. Ford Ranger Raptor (Performance Variant)
Australia (High Output): The 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 produces a massive 292kW (approx. 392-400 hp) and 583Nm of torque.
Europe (Detuned): To meet stringent European emissions standards, the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 is heavily detuned to 212kW (approx. 282 hp) and 491Nm.
Europe (Alternative): In Europe, the Raptor is also available with a 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, an option not available on the Raptor in Australia.
2. Standard Ranger Models (Diesel Engines)
2026 Shift: In late 2025/early 2026, Ford is dropping the 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel from both European and Australian lineups.
Australia Focus: Australia continues to favor high-torque diesel, offering the 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel (184kW/600Nm) across more variants, and shifting to an updated 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel for lower-end models.
Europe Focus: Europe is focusing on a new 2.3-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV) petrol engine to meet emission targets.
3. Production and Emissions
Manufacturing: Australian-market Rangers (excluding the new PHEV) are generally manufactured in Thailand, while European-market Rangers are built in South Africa.
Emissions Compliance: Europe requires more restrictive, cleaner, or electrified options (like the PHEV), whereas Australia has historically favored higher-output diesel, though new emissions standards (NVES) are gradually tightening, as of 2025
80
Compare the average miles driven of a European car versus an American one. European drivers don’t do long-distance trips unless they are on vacation. The difference in population density between European cities and American cities is substantial, and the difference in the amount of wide open spaces between Europe and America is gigantic. EVs make a ton of sense as light-duty vehicles for city driving, but not so much for long-distance commuters or for heavy-duty. Which continent does Australia resemble more: the one that is split into dozens of small countries with dense cities, or that only has three countries on the northern continent and tons of wide open spaces and sprawling cities?
Infrastructure is also a major concern. The EU has a million charging points for EVs. The USA has 60K. Australia has 4K. The EU has 17X more chargers than America, and America has 15X more chargers than Australia. What works in the EU WILL NOT work in Autralia.
130
re pollution – it is not just CO2
213
Consider the pollution from making and discarding 700 kgs of batteries. Consider the absurdity of the EV charging system in Australia. We even have charging stations being powered by diesel generators. Go figure.
260
Gee Aye, regarding actual pollutants — the lifetime emissions of an electric car *may* be higher than petrol ones. There is more mining of rare metals, more processing, plus electric cars in Australia are often charged with coal fired power which I thought you opposed? Only the rich can afford solar panels and batteries and that mass infrastructure creates its own pollution.
From a previous post I did: A group called Emissions Analytics published a report comparing real-world tailpipe particulate mass emissions to tire wear emissions. And the emissions from wear-and-tear was apparently around 1,850 times greater than what comes out of the tailpipe. (Which shows how good those air filters and engineering is in cars). https://www.emissionsanalytics.com/news/2020/1/28/tyres-not-tailpipe
Not only are EVs heavier, but to get the “fuel” to them all over Australia we need to massively increase interconnectors, inverters, strengthen distribution lines. Where does all that metal come from Gee Aye?
EVs cause more road wear and tear, and possibly twice as many potholes. Repairing roads is another source of pollution. And then theres the waste disposal of 1000’s of km2 of solar panels, and wind turbines.
Not to mention that EV’s burn ferociously, accidentally sometimes sinking whole container ships, ferries, or 1200 cars and Terminal 3 at Luton Airport. Does that increase pollution?
https://joannenova.com.au/2024/07/to-make-evs-our-battery-bandaid-for-a-wounded-grid-we-need-another-10b-in-inverters/
190
pollution for human health is significant in areas of high population and congested traffic
114
Based on carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, airborne chemicals, particles. But not to do with CO2.
That’s the silly part about this pollution discussion and the NVES, and your pushing the human health aspect on this topic. It is about reducing CO2 emissions and not air quality. Read the objectives of the act.
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2024A00034/asmade/text
Reducing CO2 is an objective.
Reducing the actual pollutants are not.
I bet health and air quality are not even mentioned.
Human health and air quality is an issue. But its irrelevant to the NVES.
180
Reminder of my sub thread post initiator
and to you
you are making that up. Reducing pollution and increasing efficiency go back a lot further than the so called climate scam. Remember catalytic converters? The 1970’s energy crisis.
There is a lot of old and old but updated legislation pertaining to clean exhausts and fuel wastage that go back a long way.
18
I’m aware of your initial comment. “Pollution – it is not just CO2”. On that note, CO2 is not even pollution. The NSW EPA probably doesn’t agree, or you, but naturally occurring CO2 isn’t considered to be pollution and CO2 is vital for life.
The NVES doesn’t relate to pollutants.
I’m not making it up that reducing CO2 is an objective of the NVES, but removing actual pollutants is not an objective. Given your reply I assume you didn’t click the link and read the objectives.
Here they are:
No. I don’t believe the “while meeting the environmental expectations of the community” portion covers it because it’s buried in a line about giving choice of vehicles as the objective. It would have it’s own line in the objectives if it was an objective.
The objectives clearly relate to reducing CO2 emissions only.
Pollution, health, other gases, chemicals, particulate, don’t rate a mention there or seemingly elsewhere in the Act.
You can have the opinion that a byproduct of reducing CO2 emissions means a reduction in some actual pollutants and improve air quality per smog. And you can say that’s a good thing. But you can’t say that byproduct has got anything to do with the purpose or objectives of the NVES. It’s purpose is related to (in my best Homer Simpson voice) “Global Warming”.
90
They are merely shifting the incredibly toxic real pollution to China, where they simply dump it into “waste ponds” that are more like lakes.
From whence it seeps into the groundwater, from there into the rivers, and from them into the oceans.
The waste compounds never break down and readily bond with organic molecules, meaning that waste is forever.
60
Lawrie,
Can we trust that you do not drive your RAM like the many others like RAM tradies who persist with sudden lane changes to fill the safe space that I try to keep ahead of my supercharged Statesman to lessen involvement in head-to-tail collisions are are far too frequent lately?
I gave you a green uptick for your comment in anticipation.
Geoff S
00
60000 Cars over 1 km. Road loose 1 kl. of tyre. and they concentrate on CO2 for their pollution scare.
60
Simon, tell us you didn’t understand the point of the article without telling us you didn’t understand the point of the article..
Hidden taxes that reward the wealthy over poorer people, that reward one country over others, ignore the additional pollution of manufacturing processes and subsidise the “favoured” manufacturers of a current government are not “efficiency standards”.
There has been huge efficiency improvements in ICE vehicles over the last 20-30 years. Most dual cab, diesel 4×4 utilities (highest sold vehicle in Australia) average 10lt per 100km (23.5MPG), whereas that was the average for sedans only 20 years ago and many 4×4 of 20 years ago ave 16-20 lt p 100.
Also CO2 is not a pollutant.
180
‘Australia has been a dumping ground …’
No doubt about it.
‘Car makers quietly lobbying against closing Australian EV ‘dumping’ loophole.
‘Top car makers and industry groups have pushed back on changing regulations that currently allow them to stockpile electric cars and profit from their rivals’ struggles to meet tough emissions rules.’ (Drive)
.
[link added https://www.drive.com.au/news/car-makers-secretly-lobbying-against-closing-australian-ev-dumping-loophole/ – Raquel]
33
My late 2017Isuzu 4WD MUX 3,000cc diesel vehicle complies with Euro 5 emissions standard, and all vehicles registered here in Australia and New Zealand must be compliant, the Standard follows the European Standard.
10
“higher polluting vehicles that can’t be sold elsewhere”
1. CO2 isn’t pollution, it’s essential plant food.
2. They have a big worldwide market; except for the toxic greens that bought politicians off who then put massive taxes onto the cars that people actually want. Europe has had small cars for as long as they have had their gigantic petrol excises.
30
It’s all part of the Left’s war against the private motor vehicle.
The Left have always hated the personal freedom afforded to non-Elites by the private car.
They want to make motoring unaffordable for non-Elites.
That’s why in the fully woke countries like Australia they want us to live in “15 Minute Cities” or however they decide to rebrand the WEF concept e.g. “20 Minute Neighbourhoods” https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/strategies-and-initiatives/20-minute-neighbourhoods” or “Train and Tram Zone Activity Centres” https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/strategies-and-initiatives/train-and-tram-zone-activity-centres
The PM will still have an ICE car. https://www.drive.com.au/news/why-the-australian-prime-minister-wont-be-in-an-electric-or-hybrid-car-anytime-soon/
Albanese said in 2024:
But that’s not true now because TRUMP abolished those standards.
What do the fake conservative Liberals have to say about this?
340
The fake conservative Liberals won’t comment & pretend it’s not really happening because the the fake MSM won’t publish or discuss it. In addition the fake conservative Liberals will try “as usual” to use it to their advantage around election time to attract inner city voters who will only vote for the left in any event!!
Nothing has changed nor will change until the fake conservative Liberals actually say ALL energy subsidies will be dumped within 30 days of an election win!!!
Lies come in the form of silence as well. While the lies continue distrust will only grow exponentially. I notice ON is far more trustworthy because there are no lies coming from them! Take note the fake conservative Liberals!
170
It’s so easy and they could say it now without any risk that the commies would copy such a policy.
But they won’t.
People need to ask WHY?
It’s still One Nation or No Nation.
170
… and he abolished those standards because they ignored the will of the people. Biden’s standards were put in place to force manufacturers to produce EVs on the government’s schedule, without taking into account that the American consumer is who ultimately decides which cars get bought and sold. Biden wanted EVs to be 50% of cars sold by 2030. What he got instead was EVs being 6% of cars sold in 2025 … and dropping. Biden’s standards attempted to warp the car market from the top down to fit government whims, and the people from the bottom up weren’t having it. Biden’s standards were a betrayal of the American ethos of ‘government by the people, for the people’. Trump listened to the people, and ended the idiotic top-down standards that consumers had rejected with alacrity.
191
Sorry, I should have read to the end before I downvoted you.
10
David. You may be interested to know of the all electric, Tasmanian built, large twin hulled ferry recently sold to Argentina. It has 250 tonnes of batteries and requires another 700 tonnes of batteries to recharge it at its various stops.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DToZjSFillU/ There is a longer version .
50
Fake Liberals being the Liberals In Name Only (LINO) left are losing influence, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor attracted two thirds of Liberal MP votes last Friday and has been able to select an impressive mostly young, talented shadow cabinet team
40
Without the policy statements, the absence of BS, lies & obfuscation the LNP/ Nationals will not be trusted again. Ms Hanson spoke her mind about those already in Australia, those seeking visas from ME countries & wouldn’t back down , grovel or apologise for speaking her mind. She’ll only further cement the surge in support. This what the 60% + of Australians really want to hear. Already the LNP are backpedaling. Refer to 1st sentence regarding trust etc!
20
Thirty plus years and One Nation has never been in government, even in QLD where they started out and where they did win quite a few state seats for a couple of government terms 1990-2000
Today in Canberra they have some Senators including Ms Hanson, in the House of Representatives they have one MP being recently joined former National Party Joyce.
It’s a numbers game, to go from one to even major opposition from there is mission impossible, maybe Senate balance of power but that means enough numbers to join others not from One Nation when voting numbers are close.
Possibly a reasonable result this year in VIC State election, but again that would be unprecedented.
00
Consider also that Australia has one of the lowest population densities in the world and outside the several main cities has wide open spaces and long distances to travel. EVs are unsuitable plus people need decent size cars, not micro cars to be comfortable on anything other than shopping trips.
The Elites of the Left typically don’t travel outside of the inner cities either so won’t care about the mobility impairment imposed on normal people who may wish to travel and enjoy themselves in the great outdoors (which is also why they are restricting our access to national parks and other wilderness areas etc.).
331
Yes David, the elites that do travel outside the inner cities always fly!
301
… and 4K charging points on the entire continent (7.7 MILLION square kilometers).
Contrast that with the tiny little Netherlands (40 THOUSAND square kilometers) having 180K charging points.
80
Not to mention lots more bicycles.
00
And a lot fewer forty deg C days.?
00
In 2012-2013 when the Abbott led Opposition was presenting policies they announced extension for the Western Australia Ord River Kununurra District Irrigation Area into Northern Territory and North Queensland, utilising new dams and hydro electricity on the “Wild Rivers” that Labor had stopped development on and listed with the United Nations. Later PM Abbott and QLD LNP Premier Newman managed to repeal the ban however when the Turnbull Party was formed late 2015 nothing more was heard about it.
My point being that the area nominated by the CSIRO was said to be a larger area than Western Europe.
It is not until you drive around the coastline (Highway One) and inland routes that an appreciation of vast distances and lonely empty country can be comprehended.
40
Dennis,
Few other readers can match my experiences of a summer 1960 drive from my Uni city of Townsville to my employment at Point Cook near Melbourne, about 3,000 km by the coast roads, in a clapped out MG sports car, model TC from 1949, 1.5 litre 4 cylinder petrol engine with 2 untunable SU carbies. Much of the Bruce Highway up north was still dirt road. The Sarina-Marlborough stretch claimed 2 broken front leaf springs from potholes and corrugations. Near Gympie was my near-fatal car smash with a Holden with 7 people inside coming home at 8 am from a drunken party and thrown off course by banks of gravel.
In those days, the vehicle of choice was more like a long wheel base Toyota Land Cruiser, but they were not yet on sale here. But the red MG was more attractive to unsuspecting lovely sporty females.
At a hidden cost. Geoff S
10
Back in the mid-1970’s, the two-door J40 version of the Toyota Land Cruiser was ubiquitous throughout the US Northwest. It was great on most surfaces during most times of the year. But having a short wheelbase, it behaved badly on winter’s icy roads.
One of my best friends had one of the two-door versions in the mid-1970’s but eventually traded it in for the longer wheelbase four-door station wagon version. Which he owned for another decade or so into the late 1980’s.
10
Hi Geoff, and all the single lane bridges along the Bruce Highway at that time and until Premier Bjelke Petersen of the Country Party (now LNP QLD) commenced major infrastructure planning and implementation, and despite the corruption allegations got things done for Queensland and with his mate and supporter Mr Thiess and his construction business, plus others of course.
I have driven and been a passenger in various MGs including TC model and understand the horse and sulky ride, but gravel and corrugations would be an experience.
A friend had a TD in showroom condition that he looked after and participated in car club events and often won best presentation prize. He had a service bay in a shed with a pit underneath where he did mechanical work but also washing and cleaning and touching up bodywork to showroom condition. His beautiful MG TD was lost when parked on hard sand at a beach one summer evening where he was enjoying life with a girlfriend and did not notice the tide coming in.
01
So the NVES looks to charge car manufacturers extra for selling ICE vehicles so as they sell more EV’s that purchasers may struggle to charge? Genius.
30
David, I need a mid-sized car just to do the weekly shopping. It would be banned under Albo-the-Appeaser’s new taxes.
10
In conformity with standard Australian practice of copying the very worst of policies of others, in 2022 the NSW EPA copied the US EPA and declared CO2 a “pollutant”.
Isn’t any public serpent or politician in Australia capable of coming up with their own original and science and reason based ideas?
170
These expensive EVs are just more toxic, unreliable rubbish that have short lives and the resale value of the car only matches what’s left of the expensive battery.
Then the heavy car has to be disposed of and you have to purchase another toxic EV and shovel more of your money to the CCP.
Why would anyone vote for the Labor, Greens or Teals parties?
240
Trump could kill this impost by viewing it as a trade barrier for US built vehicles and hit Australia with a 100% tariff on all Australia exports to USA.
The lowest cost vehicle in Australia is the Kia Picanto – $21k drive away. The lowest cost BEV is the BYD Atto 1 – drive away $26k.
This year, the Kia Picanto gets under the emission threshold. In 2027, the Kia Picanto will be slugged with the carbon offsets to artificially force its price up. The current price advantage of $5,000 will be eroded in a couple of years by this impost.
So rather than building BEVs at a competitive price, their competition will be artificially priced higher.
This is why the LNP is a lost cause. This impost would be killing Labor and the Greens if the public were aware of it..
250
The LNP have been given so many opportunities to win but because of their commitment to wokeness and their domination by the Far Left “Moderate”/Wet faction they have blown every opportunity.
Probably by design. The function of the Moderate faction appears to be to keep the Liberals OUT of power.
I am not convinced the new leadership will offer any conservative policies or remove this anti-motorist policy. Why are they silent?
230
The One Nation Party is not an alternative government or even main opposition party.
Right now they have One only One Nation MP in Canberra, former National Party MP and once Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, a good bloke and graduate of University of New England, Armidale, NSW in finance and established a large accounting and auditing firm before entering politics, but cannot be a One-Man Band.
Then a few Senators but at Greens numbers level approximately.
Albanese Labor (and Labor VIC) will be returned on preferences if One Nation interferes with preference How To Vote allocations.
10
If we don’t make an effort to change the way we vote we cannot expect the governance to change and Australia will continue on its path to destruction!
I don’t expect change to come easy or fast, but we can’t just sit on our hands and not look for future alternatives because they can’t form government tomorrow.
30
I agree to a point, that being not by preference votes again favouring Labor candidates.
00
DM,
My young wife wanted to know more about 1960s politics so she joined a local NSW Liberal Party group. She soon learned that most of them had peculiar personal problems like being driven by a particular hope that a pet theory could become law with their name attached for recognition of their greatness forever.
Her first meeting with one nominated male Liberal member revealed his passion for kissing all attractive ladies in sight. Comparing notes later, he also had a passion for kissing males. Weirdo.
At the home of the meeting host first meeting we counted 14 pet dogs between passing motions. Unusual.
Another Lib member with an economics bent kept a 6 foot pet python valued at 50 pounds a foot, except it had no feet to pound. Odd.
Wife learned early that Liberal aspirants were like other political people, requiring some deviation from normal conduct to motivate a future political career. To this day, I suspect that most politicians have unusually high sex drives, but thankfully many Labor pollies are not attractive enough to attract others to put theory into practice.
Geoff S
30
The rest of the world (ROW) sends a lot of money, needlessly, to China and the Chinese Communist Party that allows the government to build stuff that is unneeded. See “China ghost cities”** and Kangbashi District as an example. Building massive solar fields is another. The ROW pays to keep millions employed, housed, and fed. I wonder what will happen when these streams of money falter.
**a misnomer because they are newly built and have yet to receive significant occupation
80
Yesterday Peter Credlin talked to Gerrard Holland about the EV disasters and also talks to One Nation about Labor’s disastrous back door “Voice” BS in Victora.
Why do Labor, Greens and Teals want to stab the recent VIC referendum voters in the back?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q1wiOudXgQ
170
Nothing to do with Gerbil Worming can work without either subsides, or cost penalties imposed on competitors, or both.
Prove me wrong.
130
FWIW
“FOE Accuses Big Tech of Lying about the Climate Benefits of AI”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/02/18/foe-accuses-big-tech-of-lying-about-the-climate-benefits-of-ai/
30
Interesting reading in the comments – including
“strativarius
February 18, 2026 7:36 am
Friends of the Earth, or more accurately Enemies of the Human.
robust, peer-reviewed academic papers
Indeed…
Last month, Nature, perhaps the most admired scientific periodical in the world, retracted a 2024 article, “The Economic Commitment to Climate Change.“ The paper, by three scientists with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, had predicted that by 2100, climate change would reduce world economic output (GDP) by 62 percent, a shocking and widely reported claim.
After two online criticisms, the authors conceded that the paper overstated the impact and understated the uncertainties of its prediction. The result: The paper was officially withdrawn from the scientific literature.
How Many Retractions?
There are a lot of retractions these days. According to Retraction Watch, which monitors scientific journals, “Nature has retracted 32 papers since 2020, including three in 2024. The retraction today [Dec. 3] marks the sixth for the journal in 2025.” – Independent Institute
Robust is not the word.”
80
Aren’t the time stamps interesting? The first comment appears at 5:02am. I wonder when the article went live.
As the CIA might say it has all the hallmarks of a programmed bot. I’d use the term AI except that it plainly isn’t intelligent.
Good return on investment too. Roughly half of the comments are in response.
Human says no cross subsidies please from real car manufacturers to any form of computer on wheels.
61
I think it might be Chris Bowen under an alias, he’s certainly a Simple Simon!
100
Time is set in EST –ie Queensland hours. I am posting from WA around 3am here if the first comment appears at 5am QLD time, and 6am NSW/Vic/Tas time.
70
I’ve always thought Simon and Leafy were just Jo constructs, to level up the conversation. But that was before Raquel started to critique their comments as well. For all I know, Raquel might be just Jo with another name as well. I try not be a conspiracy theorist…….
30
Fun speculation, but no. I’m not Jo.
Ask me a question only she would know the answer to, like what’s her date of birth.
I don’t know.
See. I’m not her.
Jo’s too busy to be aliasing as another mod. Or any other commenter. And I’m in a different time zone. Hence being asked to help her out.
Simon and Gee definitely aren’t her either. 😄
50
The senior public serpents on salaries of up to and over $1 million per year who make these decisions and then instruct “their” politicians to implement them, what cars do you think they drive?
150
Government owned, with a fuel card so they don’t feel the impact of their recommendations at w personal level.
100
Yes Minister!
50
They probably think we plebs should eat cake.
10
From what I understand from a quick search on the internet, Australia’s carbon dioxide emissions are in the range of 430 million tons annually. Australia also exports 390 million tons of coal annually which when burned generate 1,365 million tons of CO2 to manufacture steel, solar panels and advanced batteries. A portion of this get imported back into Australia as EV’s, solar panels and other energy intensive products. People who drive petrol cars then subsidize in the purchase price of these finished goods in the price of their vehicles. Have I got this right?
160
Without checking the exact numbers, I would say you are correct. Australia pays China to emit CO2. Actually, virtually the whole western world pays China to emit CO2. I want a government that does its best for the people of this country, not one that takes instructions from China on how to grind them into the dust.
100
Lomborg tries to explain the real global cost of NET ZERO and according to 2 new PR studies it will be about 27 TRILLION $ A YEAR x 74 times until 2100 = 1998 TRILLION $.
See from about 2 minutes of the video. IOW “MISSION IMPOSSIBLE”.
Obviously, the return on the so called investment would be SFA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRNaqxlM0JE&t=20s
60
News worthy of note from Armstrong Economics. What you are looking at with Canada completing the roughly $9.4 billion Darlington nuclear refurbishment early and under budget is something that completely contradicts the prevailing political narrative about energy policy in the West. The final 878-MW unit is now preparing to return to commercial operation, marking the end of a decade-long rebuild of the four-reactor complex, finished four months ahead of schedule and about $110 million under budget.
Full article at:
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/markets-by-sector/energy/canada-completes-construction-of-nuclear-power-plant/
90
https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/almost-20-auto-brands-missed-co2-targets-in-australian-governments-first-nves-results
The compliance numbers are interesting.
20
Of course Canada can refurbish a nuclear plant early and under budget, they don’t have the CFMEU plundering the coffers. We all should get a MAGA cap: Make Albo/ Allen go away.
80
No, it’s the middle class who are subsidising the poor and the rich! A good example is with electricity and how Australians help each other pay for electricity: Those of us who can still afford to pay subsidise those who can’t. This is done through energy rabates, bill extensions and government handouts through Centerlink. Congratulations if you can still afford electricity. You are helping keep your fellow Australians afloat above the poverty line. Yes and this helps the Chinese oligarchs too and then have some to spare for sweeteners to the ALP.
81
In the case of the NVES my point is that the “carbon credit” money goes to Chinese companies, and they may choose to use it to reduce the cost of the EV’s they sell to compete and further undercut the ICE car market in Australia, or they may keep the money and buy a Yacht.
Unlike an actual subsidy or grant from the Australian government there is no requirement that the Chinese company spend the funds in Australia. No accountability. No tracking. Just money flowing from Au to China.
120
I’ll keep driving my 20+ year old V8 that’s clocked over 400,000 km with only basic servicing and my more recently acquired 4 year old Diesel 4×4, they can keep their computer on wheels, plastic junk fire traps.
110
And we hope we always have that choice. But if they subsidize a large pool of EV owners, they are buying a political support group who won’t oppose it when they bring in laws saying petrol and diesel cars can’t be insured, or repaired or registered.
If it sounds crazy remember there was an insurance insider who told us that’s what they want to do.
https://joannenova.com.au/2023/12/big-car-data-insurance-insider-warns-they-want-to-force-you-into-an-ev-ban-insurance-for-petrol-cars-and-track-you/
120
Carbon based life forms should be taxed to extinction.
40
Not often mentioned, in fact rarely mentioned are China Associates, Australian politicians and business people.
You might be surprised Who’s Who.
50
Got a link? I’m interested.
50
I have lost a lot of my 1990 and later bookmarks and China Associates information, however this link is a guide that might be useful;
https://www.innovationaus.com/turnbulls-an-old-china-hand/
I will keep looking
Another just found
https://www.smh.com.au/national/rudds-long-march-to-asias-heart-20070428-gdq0jo.html
31
It has been decreed by Australia’s leader that we shall send vast sums of money to China.
No, not Albanese, silly, President Xi.
60
Don’t laugh, the possibility of a via Labor “Vassal State” is something to think about, by stealth.
10
This is just another Albo/Jimbo tax grab hiding behind Bowen’s renewable delusions.
40
An interesting background relating to Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s Grandfather, explains why Angus has commented about his close relationship to renewable energy;
In 1948, Sir William Hudson applied for the position of chairman of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electricity Authority (SMHEA), which managed the Snowy Mountains Scheme. When the Cabinet met to consider the top three candidates, the minister responsible for the scheme, Nelson Lemmon, handed the Prime Minister Ben Chifley a note that simply read “Hudson, Hudson, Hudson!”. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1955 Queen’s Birthday Honours, in recognition of his service as chairman of SMHEA. He was elected in March 1964 a Fellow of the Royal Society, and was awarded the James Cook Medal of the Royal Society of New South Wales in 196
00
She’s real fine, my 409/
Pack it up, pack it up, Buddy now I’ve shut you down.
10
Interesting conversation I had about this last week. Rumours are that some company is buying excess/stored Chinese EV at scrap prices, importing and storing them in the west of Sydney, to ‘sell’ them at scrap-plus prices for such basic garbage.
No idea if it’s true but there are always ways around the nonsense policies written by fools with no idea what ‘second order effect’ means.
00