The political debate around changes to vehicle emissions in this country is a re-hash, a re-badge and a repeat of past arguments over our car fleet.

From the Coalition’s claim of a “ute tax” that will make it impossible for a family to drag a boat, caravan and spare car behind their petrol-powered vehicle, to some international auto companies arguing they’ll give up on the Australian market, the claims have gone beyond the ridiculous.

The fight over emission standards is a repeat of the argument over the introduction of lead-free petrol.Credit: Tamara Voninski

We know they’re ridiculous because these claims – from huge increases in cost to the “haste” in which the changes are being made – have been made before about Australian vehicles. And, just like now, the vested and political interests are behind those claims.

Plenty of readers are old enough to remember the phase-out of lead from our petrol, which started in 1986. But most of us have forgotten the heated political argument around this decision which was taken by the Fraser government.

The world started moving towards lead-free petrol in the 1970s after studies showed a connection between lead in automotive fuel and major public health problems.

By 1980, the Fraser government was under pressure from motoring and petroleum interests (and from within parts of the Coalition) to resist the idea or at least slow down the “rush” to lead-free petrol.

In June 1980, the then head of the Australian Institute of Petroleum told The Sydney Morning Herald that the case for banning lead from petrol was “badly based”, noting there was a strong argument for keeping it in the fuel supply.

“Removing lead from petrol would make hardly any difference to the amount of lead people absorb, because most of their intake comes from food and beverages,” Mr P.S. Parkin said without any proof.

He also noted that whatever was done to reduce lead or other emissions from vehicles, the cost would be reflected in higher car and petrol prices.