Several automotive companies in Australia swallowed millions in JobKeeper corporate welfare in 2020, despite returning multi-million-dollar profits in the same year. More taxpayer-funded welfare for the automotive industry, and a major regulatory failure by the Morrison Government.

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Mercedes-Benz managed to Hoover up almost $5 million in JobKeeper corporate welfare payments between April and September last year.

But COVID, frankly, was not a major hurdle for Mercedes: The company made $62.7 million in profit last year here in ‘Straya. And yet, it has no plans to give the JobKeeper funds back.

To qualify for JobKeeper, businesses like Mercedes with more than $1 billion in turnover had to estimate that their turnover would fall by 50 per cent or more.

It’s unclear - to the point of being ‘Looney Tunes’ unclear - exactly how Mercedes arrived at the determination that it qualified for this support, by virtue of projected turnover reduction. And they certainly have not been forthcoming with the details on that. Not that I can find.

Mercedes sold 38,684 vehicles in ‘Straya in 2019. In 2020, during the height of COVID, its sales were 36,233 vehicles. That’s hardly a turnover collapse worthy of governmental intervention with a barrow full of taxpayer cash.

I’m not seeing a 50 per cent drop in turnover, or more. Not even close.

The official Mercedes sales data reveals a drop of just six per cent, which in the context of COVID impacts is pretty much getting off scot-free. It’s nowhere near the 50 per cent required to qualify for taxpayer-funded corporate welfare.

Moving on now, to Ford: Ford needed to upgrade its vacuum cleaner to Hoover up $38 million in JobKeeper it received last year. Ford Australia posted a $59 million profit, which it described as a (quote) “solid result” in its 2020 financial reporting.

Thanks very much, JobKeeper (I mean: ‘taxpayer’), for more than doubling Ford’s ‘Strayan profit last year. (Said nobody with a grasp of moral conduct.)

Toyota announced in January that it would repay the $18 million it received in JobKeeper after its finances improved in the latter half of 2020. So not every carmaker is morally bankrupt. It is fairly tragic, however, when simply doing what’s right is the bar of excellence.

Eagers Automotive - the dealership conglomerate - made $156 million profit last year, according to the ABC. $133 million of that was taxpayer-funded corporate welfare from JobKeeper.

This is what moral bankruptcy looks like.