Labor’s Rego Increase Will Hurt the Bush

The LNP Opposition moved a disallowance motion in Parliament last night to try to protect Queensland families from paying too much for their car registration but the motion was voted down by Labor.

Speaking to the motion, the Member for Gregory Lachlan Millar said the Labor Government wanted to hit regional and rural Queenslanders with an unfair registration increase at twice the level of inflation.

“Labor’s price hikes will mean registration costs for four-cylinder cars will jump from $280.05 to $289.95, excluding insurance costs, from 1 July 2015.

“I urged the Labor members of Parliament to consider the impact this kind of cost increase will have on people in the bush.

“We are struggling through drought and the mining down-turn. Right now is not the time to slug hardworking families, business people and farmers and graziers.”

Mr Millar said at a time when unemployment was up, jobs were scarce and families were struggling to pay their bills, regional and rural Queensland deserved better.

“We don’t want to go back to the bad old days when Labor increased registration by 30 per cent in four years,” he said.

“When the LNP came into Government we worked hard to keep costs as low as possible by freezing family car registration for three years.

“Labor’s 3.5 per cent increase will be a step backwards and will return Queensland to being the most expensive state in Australia to own a car.

“I don’t think Queenslanders voted for massive hikes in registration fees,” he said.

CAR REGO COSTS TABLE:

Car type

What it was (2014-15)

If it had gone up by CPI (currently 1.4% in Brisbane)

What it will be in 2015-16 under ALP

4-cylinder

$280.05

$283.95

$289.95

6-cylinder

$443.45

$449.65

$458.95

8-cylinder

$620.95

$629.65

$642.70

NOTE – These costs exclude CTP and Traffic Improvement Levy, which also add to car registration bill

Fast Facts

  • The LNP froze family car registration for three years
  • Record spending on the Bruce Highway
  • Secured funding for major projects including Toowoomba Second Range, Cooroy to Curra Section C, Yeppen South and Gateway Upgrade North

Link to Hansard Record of this Speech: Page 1066 at this link