Barnaby Joyce said on Sunday Australia should follow the United States and consider banning Chinese-made electric vehicles due to security and privacy fears, questioning whether they could be used as weapons for a “malevolent purpose.”
Both Labor and the Coalition have ruled out a ban, which the US is considering over fears the technology in these cars poses risks to national security and privacy.
But National MP Joyce said Australia should proceed with caution after Israel secretly embedded explosives in hundreds of pagers carried by Hezbollah members, before detonating the wireless devices, killing 12 people and injuring thousands.
“After the pager issue… it dawned on so many people that there is the remote ability to create massive pain, massive damage, maybe at least create total collapse and chaos,” he told Sky News Sunday. Agenda.
“People have to start asking questions like can the software be updated, can these vehicles be tracked, are they made in China, is there a malevolent purpose behind this by a totalitarian state, what could the consequences be? ‘of that?’
He also said the government should reconsider allowing households to use rooftop solar panels made in China, stoking fears that inverters could be used as weapons to cause rolling blackouts.
“Also, I might add, there are 200,000 Chinese-made solar heaters installed on the rooftops of Sydney, Brisbane and the rest of the countryside, and we’ve had people who are experts in that field say to us, ‘You should look more closely at what you’re doing.’ I’ve done there.”
“God forbid there ever was a war, it would start online and in space and between those two things you can create complete and utter chaos,” the Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs said.
Barnaby Joyce (pictured) said Chinese-made electric vehicles could be used as weapons for an “evil purpose”.
More than 80 per cent of electric vehicles sold in Australia are made in China, including popular Chinese brands BYD, MG and Geely.
Tesla, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, is also manufactured in China.
Earlier this week, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the US would move to ban electric vehicles over fears that the technology in these cars, including internet-operated cameras, microphones and GPS tracking, pose risks to national security and privacy.
“It doesn’t take much imagination to understand how a foreign adversary with access to this information could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the privacy of citizens,” he said.
“In an extreme situation, foreign adversaries could shut down or take control of all of their vehicles operating in the United States, all at the same time.”
However, both Labor and the Coalition have ruled out a ban.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said he wanted Australians to have the “maximum choice” in cars.
More than 80 per cent of electric vehicles sold in Australia are made in China, including popular Chinese brands BYD, MG and Geely.
‘We will not ban vehicles manufactured in any particular country. “We will continue to work with all relevant agencies to ensure all necessary fixes are put in place, but I want Australians to have more choice of vehicles to buy, not less, more choice,” he said.
Mr Bowen and state energy ministers have noted the impact and escalation of cyber threats in the energy sector, and ministers have received briefings from public servants.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would continue talks with the United States and “follow the advice of our security agencies”.
National senator and opposition spokesperson for transport and infrastructure Bridget McKenzie also said the ban was not Coalition policy.
