Andrew Leigh

MELBOURNE’S MECHANICS SHIFT INTO TOP GEAR WITH LABOR’S REFORMS 

Labor is fixing a broken system for car owners and independent mechanics in Melbourne with a plan to make timely access to technical information a reality.

Whether you drive a Nissan Leaf or a Toyota Hilux, everyone should be able to choose where they get their car serviced. But independent repairers are being driven to despair by their inability to get fair access to the data and software upgrades they need.

This issue will only become more important as Australian drivers switch to electric vehicles, which rely on a myriad of onboard computers. If Josh Frydenberg’s dream of an ‘electric vehicle revolution’ is to be realised, then mechanics must have the data they need to fix modern cars.

Electric vehicles won’t end the weekend, but right now, mechanics are wasting too many of their weekend hours trying to find workarounds for their inability to access manufacturer data and software upgrades.

Under Labor, multinational car manufacturers will have to share the same technical information with independent mechanics that they currently provide to authorised dealers, on commercially fair and reasonable terms, with safeguards for security and environmental information.

Our policy means more choice for drivers, who cop bigger repair bills when the local mechanic is locked out from accessing the right software. It will also level the playing field for independent mechanics, who would be able to stay in business as a result and continue to hire young apprentices.

Labor called for this change more than a year ago. Alas, the former minister in charge of the issue, Michael Sukkar, sat on his hands for months before being exiled to the backbench. After even further delays, all the Liberals have to offer Australian drivers and mechanics is another inquiry via a lemon of a consultation paper.

Unlike Labor, Scott Morrison and his chaotic Liberals won’t back independent mechanics in Melbourne over large foreign multinationals.

Labor understands it’s your car and it should be your choice where it gets repaired. Under a Shorten Labor Government, drivers will be in the fast lane for reform.

ENDS

Authorised by Noah Carroll ALP Canberra.