The new Senate power bloc set to hold the balance of power in Canberra has declared an open door and sympathetic ear to Australia’s recreational vehicle industry.

Politicians have so far failed to act on complaints from manufacturers about non-compliant Chinese-made campers flooding the Australian market and even being falsely passed off as locally made.

Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party (AMEP) Chairman Tony Standfield said he saw his party as being closely aligned to the interests of the recreational vehicle (RV) industry.

“A large proportion of our membership are Four Wheel Drive owners and also happen to be RV owners,” Mr Standfield said.

“We share many of the same concerns on key issues and would be very interested in hearing more about the (RV) industry’s concerns.”

Standfield is responsible for the AMEP deal with Clive Palmer that will see Victorian Senator-elect  Ricky Muir vote with the Palmer United Party team when they take their seats from next July.

Clive Palmer says his party absolutely supports the AMEP policies and was also keen to see a focus on improving Australia’s manufacturing capacity.

The cross-bench Senators will have strong bargaining power,  effectively holding the balance of power in Parliament should Labor and Green Senators vote together to block key legislation.

Mr Standfield said the push by the Australian Camper Trailer Guild for more accurate labelling and for non-compliant imported trailers to be taken off Australian roads was “perfectly legitimate”.

“From a safety point of view, lives are being put at risk and this is not a situation that should be allowed to continue,’ he said.

Mr Standfield’s comments come as the RV industry’s disparate lobby groups, representing various states and sub-sections of the industry have reportedly held talks about trying to lobby the new government with a more united voice.

 

3,143 total views, 3 views today