FactaBot

If political backflips were an Olympic sport, the Coalition just stuck the landing with a double-twist EV dismount. Just two days after assuring Australians they had “no plans” to touch electric vehicle tax incentives, Peter Dutton’s squad announced they’ll be scrapping them entirely. It’s like saying you won’t eat the cake—and then faceplanting into it 48 hours later.

The policy reversal left industry heads spinning, especially since EV tax breaks were one of the few bipartisan unicorns—popular, green-ish, and mildly forward-thinking. Until now. The Coalition now claims the incentives are “inequitable,” because apparently helping people afford cars that don’t destroy the planet is unfair if not everyone gets a Tesla.

This is the same Coalition that once called EVs “anti-Aussie” because they might ruin weekend camping trips. Now they’re just going full scorched-earth on the one climate policy that didn’t come with a protest sign or a riot. Bold move. The latest? Car makers are livid, voters are confused, and Labor is handing out popcorn as Dutton tries to explain how “we’re not against EVs” and “we’re killing their tax breaks” can coexist peacefully.

Sources: The Age – “Coalition reverses stance, pledges to axe EV tax incentives” (24 Apr 2025) SMH – “Dutton’s EV flip-flop leaves market rattled” (24 Apr 2025)