Newsroom

May 29, 2024

KATTER’S Australian Party MP Bob Katter has questioned why Australians are charging their EVs with solar panels manufactured using Chinese coal-fired power stations, under the guise of “reducing emissions,” when enforcing biofuels would provide an instant reduction and save the economy billions of dollars.

On Wednesday, Mr Katter asked the Federal Environment Minister why Australians were sending $48bn overseas to purchase fuel, and then paying over $2 per litre, while Brazil was manufacturing its own ethanol and enforcing 49 per cent, so its motorists could pay $1.10.

“Everyday in parliament we hear net zero and emissions reductions. So is it better to have our EVs fuelled by solar panels whose production and smelting in China belches mass clouds of CO2 polluting our atmosphere,” Mr Katter asked.

“Is it better to impose a tax on regional Australians – the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard -  to try and reduce emissions, or, can we put ethanol in our vehicles instead?

“Is it better to send $48bn overseas each year to buy our fuel, or can we manufacture our own using sugar cane (and other crops), and be paying $1.10 like Brazil?”

Mr Katter said while acknowledged the minister’s response which referenced the harvesting of invasive weeds, currently spread throughout the rich productive soil of northwest Queensland, to manufacture biofuels, he said he was sick of “hot air” from governments when it came to tangible action.

“While we skip around the real solutions for emissions reduction with vehicle taxes, or ‘Net Zero Authorities’ we’re watching tangible solutions literally wash out the drain.

“I’m talking about removing the pricky acacia (invasive weeds), building the Bradfield Scheme and irrigating inland, rich-soil, empty Queensland and building industrial sized sugar plantations to manufacture ethanol; instead we’re letting the annual rainfall of North Queensland wash out to the Great Barrier Reef.

“I’m talking about converting our current sugar mills to produce byproducts of ethanol and electricity – so we have true renewable energy – not ‘renewable energy’ that’s burning CO2 in China.”