‘Should set off alarm bells’: Call for probe into politicians’ use of Chinese EVs 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