Arabic version: لامبي تدعو إلى إخضاع إعانات رعاية الأطفال والمركبات الكهربائية لاختبار الدخل

According to ABC News, independent Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie has urged the government to consider means testing existing subsidies, including childcare and electric vehicle assistance, as it seeks savings before December’s budget update. Treasurer Jim Chalmers faces pressure to restrain expenditure amid persistent inflation and a fifth interest rate rise this year.

Speaking on Insiders, Senator Lambie said government assistance should be better targeted at people who need it most. She suggested childcare rebates could vary by household income, citing a couple earning $500,000 between them as an example. She questioned why such a household should not receive a 10 per cent rebate rather than a larger subsidy.

Asked whether the approach should extend to other forms of assistance, including electric vehicle subsidies, Senator Lambie said: “Means test it all, why not? That’s where you’ll get some money from.” She said constituents were experiencing financial pressure not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic and warned she did not expect the situation to improve overnight.

The senator also said she would support the government’s nationwide gas reservation legislation in the Senate. The proposed scheme would require liquefied natural gas exporters to reserve up to 20 per cent of their product for the domestic market, with the government saying it would place downward pressure on prices and address east-coast supply concerns. Senator Lambie called for a 20 per cent tax on export gas, while the government has rejected the proposal, citing trade relationships with Asian partners and the existing petroleum resources rent tax.