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Warnings from domestic spy agency ASIO for politicians not to have sensitive conversations while driving have prompted an opposition call for a security review into whether Chinese electric vehicles should remain on the list of taxpayer-funded cars available to parliamentarians.
Officials confirmed during Senate estimates hearings this week that more than 30 per cent of the vehicles now available under the parliamentarian vehicle scheme are Chinese-made EVs, including models made by BYD and MG.
ASIO deputy-director general Lisa Alonso Love said during hearings on Thursday night: “In relation to any vehicle, whether it’s connected or not, we would suggest that members of parliament or public servants do not have conversations that contain sensitive or classified information.
“Obviously a connected car may have other vectors to gather that information, but those conversations should only ever happen in places that are set up for classified conversations, and we would say that people should be conscious of the things that they are discussing in vehicles, knowing that people may be able to get that information.”
Opposition special minister of state James McGrath called for a review into the taxpayer-funded vehicle scheme, saying he had serious concerns about whether proper consideration had been given to national security risks.
He said the ASIO warnings should “set off alarm bells across the parliament”.
“The Albanese government cannot pretend there is no national security issue here, when these vehicles are effectively rolling Chinese data centres,” he said.
“We need transparency, proper safeguards and a clear understanding of what data these vehicles collect, where that data goes, and who is accessing it.”
Greens senator David Shoebridge during Senate estimates hearings on Thursday said all connected vehicles – not just electric vehicles – were vulnerable to the same security concerns.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has previously defended his decision to drive a Chinese-made electric vehicle, after the opposition accused him of putting national security secrets at risk.
“Immediately on being appointed to this portfolio, Minister Burke informed his department and security agencies that he had a Chinese-made vehicle,” cabinet minister Murray Watt said in 2024, reading a statement provided by Burke’s office.
“He was given advice on appropriate precautions to take and has taken those precautions.”
Liberal MP Mary Aldred has previously expressed concerns about the inclusion of Chinese-made vehicles on the list of cars that can be used by politicians, saying Australia was lagging countries like the United States.
Chinese-made electric vehicles were already virtually banned in the US because of steep tariffs, but the sale of Chinese vehicles containing connectivity-enabling software has been explicitly prohibited since March under new rules.
A US ban on cars with hardware provided by Chinese-owned entities will begin in 2029.
“Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People’s Republic of China,” former US president Joe Biden said when announcing a probe that led to the rules.
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Matthew Knott is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners
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