The Hon Andrew Leigh MP
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
DOORSTOP PRESS CONFERENCE
MURAL HALL, PARLIAMENT HOUSE
FRIDAY, 6 NOVEMBER 2026
SUBJECTS: Labor protecting Australians from unsafe e-bikes, productivity, tax, housing, US midterm elections, EVs, Reserve Bank, alcohol tax, AI data centres, Russia
ANDREW LEIGH: Thanks everyone for coming along today. My name is Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury.
Labor believes that e‑bikes have an important role to play in ensuring that people can get around safely and affordably. A good quality e‑bike is an extension to our transport network, and many Australians are taking advantage of e‑bikes. But we’re also seeing vehicles on our roads that are effectively motorbikes with a battery, which are dangerous and are causing accidents on Australian roads.
The number of accidents being reported to hospitals is significant. We’re seeing this in every state and territory across Australia. Recent reports suggest that the cost to the Australian economy of these injuries and fatalities could be at least $28 million dollars a year.
That’s why the Albanese government has acted, calling on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to do important work in putting in place an e‑bike safety standard. This is work that we have funded the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to do, to the tune of $4.3 million dollars.
We shouldn’t be seeing on our roads vehicles that are effectively motorbikes with pedals. Australians need to be sure that what’s being sold is safe. As we lead into Christmas, I would urge those who are thinking about putting an e‑bike below the Christmas tree to ensure that it is a safe one that it isn’t going to imperil the rider or others.
There’s huge benefits to e‑bikes. As a keen cyclist myself, I’ve spoken to a lot of friends who have enjoyed being able to extend a cycling career thanks to an e‑bike. I know people in hilly areas or with mobility challenges find that e‑bikes are the only way they’re able to enjoy cycling, and so Labor wants e‑bikes to continue to be a part of a transport solution. We want to ensure that Australian pedestrians and motorists aren’t imperilled by seeing unsafe e‑bikes on our roads. Very happy to take questions.
JOURNALIST: When it comes to the safety of these bikes, a lot of them that have speed locks can easily be taken to a bike shop, and that speed lock can be altered. Many kids across the country have done that. Has the horse not already bolted in terms of even if there is safety exclusions put on these, they can easily be routed?
ANDREW LEIGH: Yeah, there’s 2 parts to that question. One is how we’ll handle second‑hand sales, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will be looking at second‑hand sales as well as looking at the issue of converter kits. But the European standard EN 15194 not only regulates the amount of power assistance and the power of the bike, but also the ability to modify bikes. It is important that we put in place a standard that ensures that what is bought at the store isn’t able to be modified, so that it’s dangerous to others.
JOURNALIST: Would you look at different safety standards for children and adults? Is that part of this?
ANDREW LEIGH: At the moment, the ACCC is consulting around a single standard, but of course people are welcome to make their submissions. The ACCC consultation is now underway, wrapping up at the end of November.
JOURNALIST: Assistant Minister, just on the Productivity Commission’s Business Dynamism Report – why have a review into productivity and exclude the drags on it, such as taxes and workplace laws that massively increase compliance and cost and reduce flexibility?
ANDREW LEIGH: I don’t think anyone would argue there’s been a shortage of reports into industrial relations and tax over recent years. The Productivity Commission themselves conducted a review of workplace arrangements in 2022, and the government’s Employment White Paper was brought down in 2023. We’ve had independent reviews of the closing loopholes laws and the same job, same pay laws in recent years.
On the tax front, the Productivity Commission has done work on venture capital tax breaks and corporate tax breaks. The tax insights statements that have come down every year have looked at that issue. What this report is about is trying to shine a spotlight on a set of issues that have not been extensively canvassed before – issues around the insolvency processes and around management quality, around the uptake of technology.
We need to be looking at the whole spectrum when we look at productivity, and that’s why we’ve asked the Productivity Commission to conduct this inquiry in this way.
JOURNALIST: Well on this report, ACCI says it’s like seeing a doctor and blocking them from checking your lungs and heart. What would you say to that?
ANDREW LEIGH: There have already been a wide range of reports on tax and of course, this government has in the most recent budget, put in place the most significant tax reform in 25 years. Treasurer Chalmers is a reforming Treasurer and has made the bold decision in the last budget to reform capital gains tax, negative gearing, trusts, and arrangements around the research and development tax incentive.
Alongside that, we made the instant asset write‑off permanent and instituted loss carryback. Those significant tax reforms followed a series of reports which had been done on tax. We understand the importance of tax reform, and we’re acting on them. We also understand the importance of taking a holistic look on productivity, and that’s what this report from the Productivity Commission is working on today.
JOURNALIST: The Housing Industry Association warns we’re getting further away from the Housing Accord goals because of the ban on foreign investment, rate hikes and the government’s tax changes. Does the government concede that that target will be missed?
JOURNALIST: We’ve got more homes under construction right now than ever before in Australian history. A quarter of a million homes being built in Australia right now, with the Commonwealth government playing an unprecedented role in investing in housing.
Clare O’Neil has been working assiduously with state and territory counterparts in order to tackle planning and zoning blockages and see more homes built. There hasn’t been a federal government in decades which has taken such a serious approach to boosting housing supply. You see that right across the board. People will see that in their own neighbourhoods, with a record number of homes under construction right now.
JOURNALIST: Assistant Minister, pardon me. The Democrats win. It’s obviously been seen as a bit of a shot in the arm for left and centre‑left politics. Will you be watching the New Zealand election? And again, if Labor over there gets into government, will that – again will you take some – will that galvanise the Labor Party here in Australia?
ANDREW LEIGH: I’m a political tragic. I’m married to an American, of course I watch the US elections very closely and I’ll also be keenly watching what’s going on in New Zealand. We take lessons from those elections as a political party, but we also have extremely strong relationships with those countries regardless of who’s in power.
You see that in Prime Minister Albanese’s strong relationship with the New Zealand and US leaders who are of different political complexions. So yes, fascinating elections. I’ll be tuning in like everyone else, but our relationships with those countries remain strong.
JOURNALIST: Do you think we need to get rid of the incentives for EVs now that we’re seeing those sales surge so much? I think $3 a litre for diesel, $2.40 for petrol – surely that’s an incentive enough for people to start buying EVs. We don’t need to be subsidising it, do we?
ANDREW LEIGH: I’m responsible for the Australian Centre for Evaluation and Treasury which did an evaluation of the EV discount and put forward important recommendations, which is seeing that discount be phased down. That’s appropriate as people make decisions on what vehicles to invest in and companies make investment decisions. We understand the value of being able to plan ahead, and those discounts are appropriately being phased out.
JOURNALIST: Just on the Reserve Bank. It’s been reported in the Australian Financial Review over the last couple of days there’s been some debate between board members, maybe some disquiet about the Deputy Governor being out there signalling or talking about the inflation figures a couple of weeks before the meeting. Of course, you’re a strong proponent of the RBA Review, which arguably kicked off some of this sort of stuff. What’s your sort of take on this, as an economist and someone who advocated for review of the RBA and sort of made recommendations in line with this?
ANDREW LEIGH: John, I’ve certainly read your reporting on that. I think there is a healthy debate over macroeconomics happening in Australia right now. You would expect that at the time of where the Reserve Bank board was split on the most recent decision. I think it is good for this conversation to be taking place in public and naturally, our government doesn’t comment directly on Reserve Bank decisions.
JOURNALIST: The alcohol industry is warning about a billion‑dollar booze black market. Would the government look at the spirits tax? It’s one of the highest in the world.
ANDREW LEIGH: We don’t have any plans to reduce those excises. They’re obviously put in place for good public health reasons in order to ensure that we have healthy outcomes for Australians. The enforcement issues we’re aware of and looking into very carefully and seeing whether any additional enforcement action is warranted.
JOURNALIST: Is your concern that the that the government is losing tax revenue though from this black market?
ANDREW LEIGH: Look, I’ve read the reports today. Obviously, we need to look into what the responsible agencies say around this. My sense at the moment is that there is not going to be cuts to any of those excises.
JOURNALIST: At a time when the budget is so constrained though, surely it would be better to lower the excises, which some argue would actually increase government revenue? Surely spending more on enforcement would put the budget in a worse position?
ANDREW LEIGH: Laffer curve arguments rarely hold up and I suspect it’s unlikely they’d hold up in this case.
JOURNALIST: Just on the US midterm elections again, data centres played a big role there. Would the government like to see a ban on data centres in the suburbs?
ANDREW LEIGH: We believe the principles we put in place are the right ones, around electricity and water use and ensuring community benefit. Particular decisions about locations of data centres are also going to be heavily influenced by local councils. We saw, for example, the withdrawal of the Lane Cove proposal, and so that’s an active community conversation.
The basic principle of the Albanese government is ensuring that Australians get the benefits of data centres located in their communities. Here in the ACT, we have a significant number of data centres largely serving government and national security clients. That is being done with 100 per cent renewables, with careful approaches to water and with good engagement with the local community, and I think that’s certainly a model that other places can follow.
JOURNALIST:The public already doesn’t have a particularly strong perception of AI data centres in their communities. We saw the RBA say that investment in AI was driving inflation in the last decision. How do you think that’s going to impact the public’s perception if now it’s having a bigger financial cost on them?
ANDREW LEIGH: It would be up to others to comment on the public debate there. I do think there is significant value in Australia not simply being at the end of the line of the AI stack, of being part of developing AI tools. You look at apps such as Harrison and Heidi which are playing an important role in AI healthcare, and the use of data centres is a part of that. I mentioned before too, the data centres here in the ACT that are looking after secure and government information, and I don’t think anyone would want that information to be stored in data centres sitting offshore.
JOURNALIST Will the Albanese government heed an international call to stop using Russian oil – blood oil?
ANDREW LEIGH: We certainly stand with the international community in terms of the sanctions on Russia. You would have heard the comments of Minister Bowen a couple of weeks ago. We certainly have no intention of changing our position in terms of Russian sanctions.
Any other questions?
JOURNALIST: Just on the e‑bikes. Because I think you’re changing the national – you’re looking at the national standards?
ANDREW LEIGH: Absolutely.
JOURNALIST: If you’ve already got an e‑bike like this one that would be considered compliant, but the new national standards might tweak that and change that. What would happen to those bikes? Would you no longer be able to use them?
ANDREW LEIGH: Well, this e‑bike is EN 15194. It’s compliant with the European standard. Any standard that was put in place by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would affect what can be sold. States and territories, however, are already taking action in terms of what can be ridden on the roads and they have limitations around power assist, total power, and modifiability. What we have at the moment though, is a situation in which e‑bikes can be sold, but can’t be ridden on the roads. People will claim that they’re going to be riding them on private property, but all of us have seen them being ridden around the streets, potentially endangering pedestrians.
JOURNALIST: So could we see a government buyback of e‑bikes?
ANDREW LEIGH: We are focused on putting in place a standard which would regulate what can be sold.
JOURNALIST: Assistant Minister, will you ride the bike for us?
ANDREW LEIGH: Not without a helmet! But thanks for the invitation.
JOURNALIST:Who is faster – you on your feet or you on the bike, Andrew?
ANDREW LEIGH: I think an e‑bike would – well, I don’t know. No, I think an e‑bike would do 25 kilometres per hour power assist. Even in my sprints, I’m not going to get to 25 kilometres per hour!
Thanks for coming everyone, appreciate it.
ENDS