WHILE

Mark Bailey is correct, EVs will come down in price and Australian consumers will buy more, in fact I will buy one, but there’s a couple of problems with his fanatical support of Bill Shortens 50 per cent electric vehicle mandate.

1. The mandate is Australia-wide and the electricity grid in Australia is at capacity most days so it is at risk of failing with this policy unless $billions are spent to beef it up.

2. Mr Bailey says consumers can charge up at public charging stations. There are three such stations in Burleigh, I wonder how he expects 50 per cent of cars in Burleigh to manage that.

3. Bailey says we can use home solar to charge these cars. The sun only shines during the day so I guess he expects us to leave our cars at home?

Mark Bailey and Bill Shorten want to force you to buy an electric vehicle by 2030 so they should be leading the way shouldn’t they? So do either of them drive an EV?

I know Mark Bailey’s ministerial limo is a Chrysler 300c and that’s about to be replaced with a Holden Acadia so he’s not showing us the way.

In fact the Queensland Parliament precinct doesn’t have an EV charging point and I bet if we ask Mr Bailey, his government office at 1 William St doesn’t have EV charging anywhere in the building that houses 5000 public servants.

He’s occupied that place for more than four years so he’s had plenty of time to lead the way.

There’s no doubt in my mind Mark Bailey and Bill Shorten say one thing but do another. MICHAEL HART, MEMBER FOR BURLEIGH, SHADOW MINISTER FOR ENERGY