Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 1:00pm:

It is seemingly logical argument if one ignores the fact that Australian taxpayers incur ongoing cost to our health due to petrol & diesel powered vehicles, as well as the carbon emissions which will supposibly mean cost to the health of the planet.

The reason for the fuel excise is not only for the roads that we drive on, but for the health costs resultant from the exhaust fumes of petrol & diesel transport. 

Electric cars, providing that they are charged from renewable power sources, (which is largely the government's responsibility), do not create fumes which cause pollution, carbon in the sky, asthmatics and lung cancer sufferers in the public hospitals, and most immediately noticable, engine noise.  It is unAustralian to tax those who are providing a good service to all of the population. 

Personally, I'd be better off because I don't use my car as much as the average Australian, so I'd be paying less for the weekly kays than average.  Ethically, I think it is wrong to make electric cars pay the same as petrol cars when electric cars are good for the health of the whole community compared to noisy, smelly fossil-fuelled cars which negate the whole idea of renewable energy because they each contain their own personal pollutive power station.

A distance based tax would more effect poorer people in the outter ring suburbs.
People out in schitsville often drive 100km a day!

There is already a distance based tax anyway, it's called the fuel tax!
Drive more, buy more petrol, pay more tax.

If a large % of cars are electric and being powered from rooftop solar, then yes some distance based tax would be appropriate.

The people in the rural area would be dis-advantaged.  Plus, what would be cost of setting up these types of infrastructure to monitor the usage?  We dont even have enough to bring fibre to homes, how are they going to tax it?  Voluntary reporting of the odometer?

cods wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 3:00pm:


Won't be long & that mentality will have us paying to breathe.

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 6:13pm:

What use is breathing in a world like that?

freediver wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 9:43pm:


Isn't it 90% tax anyway?

freediver wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 10:01pm:



It would be close to 90%.

The Govt. taxes everything all the way through the supply chain.
It's probably taxed over 10 times before you fill up.

And there is more.  If there is voluntary reporting of the odometer.  How are they going to audit this?  Are they going to employ a 'team' of public servants nation wide to catch under reporting?  Are there going to be penalties?  Can people going to court or jail for this?  There just too much issues to sort out.   And probably what happens at the end, is that all the big companies is going to be okay, and the 'computer software' would just go after pensioners in rural areas.

This is inevitable as electric car usage takes off.

And it's a good thing too - also means that you can keep a weekend car in the garage or a proper 4WD for the grey nomad types and not pay stupid amounts of rego for it.

freediver wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 9:43pm:


They already tax petrol ... are you kidding?

40c per litre - unleaded
40c per litre - diesel
13c per litre - Gas

Gnads wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 9:44am:

totally agree Gnads...  cost of living is already ridiculous imagine what this would add.

Gnads wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 9:47am:


It is, but anything that moves us away from a stupid tax like rego to a more intelligent distance-based tax is a good thing.

Personally I'd have done away with rego years ago, made third party insurance a token amount (say <$100) to get rid of the issue with uninsured drivers and simply upped the excise on petrol to compensate.

Bobby. wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 10:30pm:

Still a long way to go.  Tobacco tax is over the 1,000% mark now.

Some of you aren't listening.
Regional areas would be penalised under such a system.
I have to travel 2 hours at 100kmph to get to the nearest city with proper shops and services.

In Sydney for example I could catch a train or drive for 10-20 minutes at 60kmph.

You cant do that in the regions.

Imrah wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 11:44am:


There is a vast difference between taxing the guts out of tobacco than doing likewise to something as important as vehicular transport.

Imrah wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 4:12pm:

I used to live in a city.
I am now a carer my parents have retired, I have no choice where I live.
BTW I've paid more tax than most Australians over my lifetime.  Comes from working very long hours and being well paid.

The point is...  regardless of my circumstances...  this scheme would still be unfair.

Imrah wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 6:22pm:

The trick is...  in the land of the fair go....  to be fair... minorities do not have to, nor should they suffer and many people live outside cities...

Bobby. wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 10:30pm:


You could always try informing yourself rather than guessing Bobby.

Gnads wrote on Jun 26^th, 2018 at 9:44am:


Perhaps that is where Bobby gets his 90% from - petrol for 44c per litre.

You do realise that roads aren't cheap, don't you?

Quote:


Did you hear that down at the pub?

How much do you think that highway costs?

freediver wrote on Jul 1^st, 2018 at 7:26am:


Multi millions ... what's your point?

If they can't last more than 6 months before the road patrols are out patching them ... they're not getting built well enough for the money.

mantra wrote on Jul 1^st, 2018 at 8:04am:


Bully for you .... what may suit you doesn't suit millions of others or me. 

Grappler Truth Teller Feller wrote on Jun 25^th, 2018 at 1:00pm:


Another example of the oligarchy pushing governments.

While China is advancing Australians will soon be on bicycles.

Time for a revolution.