Steve Power writes: Responding to your recent article about Australians’ fascination with large American utes, I would absolutely agree that large utes are protected and enabled by lazy and poorly targeted tax structures.
These American pick-ups make the current Hilux/Ranger range look prepubescent and totally feed into a fragile male ego. The sooner there is a hint of political courage to structurally discourage people from purchasing these pick-ups the better, and the support will be far and wide.
I think the general sentiment is unless you are in them, you hate them — and I am sure even those in them probably don’t love their economy, turning circle, general road manners, etc.
Let’s get this US-style crap off the road and be a little more euro (clever) in our thinking towards vehicles.
Christine Morris writes: I hear people complaining about how terrifying driving is becoming. It’s about time the tax office brought in lifestyle considerations, not just brand/make of car. All vehicles need to be taxed on size and weight, but tradies who legitimately need them for work could claim it on tax.
Several of the independents have raised tax reform to make it fairer. It also needs to drive our choice to live more sustainably. Tax reform could be on the table for the election, and needn’t necessarily spell out every tax they’ll look at. It could be paired with reducing personal income tax.
If we cannot change this we are all doomed. Who will let their child walk or ride to school, sport or other events with these monster vehicles everywhere? I’ve been cycling for years and the road is much more terrifying than it used to be.
Tim Stephens writes: What about a revenue-free new car weight tax/bonus? Works like this: every new car is eligible for a $10,000 cash rebate if it is below a certain weight. So a little car costs $10k less. As the vehicle weight increases the bonus decreases until say at 1,500 kg you get nothing.
Vehicles over 1,500kg, the bonus becomes a cost. The heavier the vehicle, the bigger the cost (e.g. a RAM would be hit with a $20k cost).
The money from the big cars pays for the bonus for the small cars. Small-car owners can then smile at all the owners of utes and RAMs and thank them for their contribution.
Allen Brown writes: I drove a Land Rover for years in PNG in my job as a surveyor, and later in northern NSW. It was ideal for the job, but is less than ideal for Vaucluse or Toorak, let alone those gargantuan US compensations for a small dick that clutter up or roads and parking spaces.
What’ll we have next? Bushmaster APCs?
