The federal government is facing calls to respond to an effective ban on Chinese carmakers in the US with moves of its own.
Auto industry experts say any moves would be complicated, and risk slowing the pace of Australia’s transition to electric vehicles.
The Albanese government says it is “closely monitoring” the moves in the US, and is in talks with the Biden administration about any local implications.
Considering that the Australian Automotive manufacturing industry no longer exists, we have three choices; import cars, improve public transport or improve bike/ walking paths.
Since the right-wing astroturf campaigns are not supportive of walkable communities and by extension, the gulliable voter base follows along with that, what about public transport?
This is a chicken-egg problem, the Economic ‘Rationalist’ beancounters wont allow improvements to public transport and the public won’t use public transport until it is improved.
That leaves car imports. European-manufactured brands charge luxury pricing for their vehicles, even when they are not luxury brands. They also charge luxury pricing for aftersales. US manufacturers don’t make any vehicles suitable for the Australian market. Japanese and Korean manufacturers are producing some good vehicles for the Australian market, but Japan is charging European pricing and Korean vehicles are also out the price range of most people. This leaves Chinese and Indian vehicles for the price-conscious driver and Chinese and Indian manufactured former-European “luxury” vehicles for the ignorant driver.
If the government want to stop automotive imports, they will need to be Progressive. Improve mass-transit and freight infrastructure (Octopus Act 2.0), regulate new housing developments to be more walkable and retrofit existing developments to be more walkable. In the interim, they would also need to subsidise local manufacturing again. This would also need government oversight to prevent the global outsourcing of parts from the 2000s and the corporate fraud of the parent companies from The 2010s.
you forgot one more option, penalties companies which force workers to commute on jobs which not requite personal presence. It will improve public transport and reduce car usage a lot. It will also make small business to move away from cities to places where people lives.
You are right, but I did not forget. Walkable cities also includes decentralised workplaces. Whether that means WFH, or local satellite offices or colocated workspaces, they all decrease commute and increase worker satisfaction. The only businesses that still benefit from monolithic workplaces would be high security and vanity businesses.