Electric Vehicles

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (15:19): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer please update the chamber on the implementation of the road user charges for electric vehicles?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:19): I am very happy to update the house because there has been some recent discussion about it, as I understand, in parliamentary committees, and media follow-up as a result of those inquiries. It is correct to say that the South Australian government and its officers have been in active discussion with the Victorian Labor government and its administration and—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition is out of order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —we are actively progressing—

An honourable member interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: —those particular discussions in relation to the details of the road user charge in South Australia.

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: The Leader of the Opposition should not be conversing with members of the government bench.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: What has transpired as a result of the issue being ventilated in the parliamentary committees, as I understand it, was in relation to whether or not the government was considering the abolition of stamp duty on electric vehicles. My response on the public record is that I am not planning to be abolishing stamp duty or payroll tax or indeed making changes in relation to stamp duty.

What I have been correctly reported as saying, and it is accurate, is that we haven't ruled anything out in relation to the road user charge. Some other jurisdictions have certainly made changes in relation to registration charges, and there are various issues. I know that Victoria and some other jurisdictions are actively considering the introduction of a road user charge and are contemplating it in relation to a package of measures which might go broadly into the electric vehicle area.

It is correct to say that the government hasn't ruled anything out but in relation to the issue of asking, 'Am I commissioning Treasury to undertake work on stamp duty abolition or the like?', it's accurate to say that no, I am not, and I have not commissioned them to do so. But it is also accurate to say that I haven't ruled anything out in relation to what the other jurisdictions are looking at. By and large, they have tended to look at registration charges rather than stamp duty concessions. By and large, that seems to be the preferred course. Some jurisdictions have looked at stamp duty but, by and large, registration charges and incentives seems to be the preferred course.