The announcement of a High Court legal challenge against Victoria’s controversial EV Tax means that the consideration of similar legislation here in South Australia should be delayed, The Australia Institute says.

“This EV Tax has been a terrible idea from the beginning and now there is a serious legal cloud hanging over its constitutionality,” said Noah Schultz-Byard, SA Director at The Australia Institute.

“This tax was rushed, poorly thought through and, if passed into law, will pull the handbrake on our state’s transition to the clean transport technology of the future.

“We are already so far behind on the uptake of EVs in South Australia. This tax will take us in the wrong direction and now there are significant questions being asked about its legal validity.

“It would be foolish for the State Government or the Parliament to legislate this backwards tax while an identical policy in Victoria is being challenged in the High Court. The Parliament should delay its consideration of this tax until these legal questions have been answered.

“It’s time for the government to go back to the drawing board and figure out a legal, sustainable policy for South Australia that would support, not disincentivise, the uptake of EVs in our state.

“Getting more EVs on our roads will reduce carbon pollution, improve the quality of the air that we breathe and make us less reliant on foreign, imported oil.”