Key posts
- Greens, Pocock want plug-in hybrids excluded from EV tax breaks
- Republic support falls into minority
- This morning’s key headlines at a glance
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Greens, Pocock want plug-in hybrids excluded from EV tax breaks
A federal bid to cut the price of electric vehicles has sparked a political clash about whether buyers of plug-in hybrid cars deserve any of the benefits, forcing a Senate vote that could scale back the scheme and save $1 billion over a decade.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised the tax breaks in the election campaign but is facing a stand-off in the Senate because the Greens and key crossbenchers believe the generous incentives should not go to any vehicles that use petrol.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, centre, faces pushback on his electric vehicle policy from independent senator David Pocock, left, and the Greens, led by Adam Bandt.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
With the Liberals and Nationals already unhappy that the policy could cost $4.5 billion over a decade, the new moves will force Labor to negotiate in the upper house over amendments that would limit the tax breaks to full EVs.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said the government should spend the $1 billion on charging stations in regional areas to encourage the shift to EVs rather than offering an incentive to buyers of plug-in hybrids.
“Public money should be driving the electric vehicle revolution, not giving handouts for petrol cars,” he said.
More on this issue here.
Republic support falls into minority
Australians’ support for a republic has dropped to 46 per cent and they want more time to decide on the divisive change after marking the death of Queen Elizabeth II with an extraordinary endorsement of her time as the nation’s head of state.
Voters have shifted in favour of the status quo when asked to decide a “yes” or “no” question on a republic at a time of global attention on the Queen’s funeral and the transition to King Charles, shattering the narrow majority for change revealed in a similar survey in January.
The exclusive findings reveal that only one state, Victoria, would back a republic and would do so only with a tiny majority of 50.2 per cent, dooming a referendum to failure and repeating the rejection of the 1999 attempt to amend the constitution.
In a significant divide on gender lines, 59 per cent of women oppose the change while 49 per cent of men say the same, matching a pattern found in the past but also highlighting the challenge for republican advocates.
More on the polling here.
This morning’s key headlines at a glance
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Wednesday, September 21. I’m Broede Carmody and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started.
- Support for Australia becoming a republic has dropped following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. That’s according to the latest Resolve Political Monitor.
- The Greens and independent ACT senator David Pocock want to exclude plug-in hybrids from Labor’s electric vehicle tax breaks. David Crowe has the full story.
- In state news, Victorian crossbench MP Fiona Patten has revealed she will have to spend some time campaigning for November’s election from her hospital bed after being diagnosed with cancer.
- The NSW treasurer is calling on the federal government to bring forward changes to childcare subsidies.
- And from today, Queenslanders will no longer have to wear masks on public transport, taxis and ride-share services – joining NSW and South Australia in easing mandates.
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