Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to give a voice to the businesses, the families, the fishers and the farmers in my electorate who are bearing the brunt of this fuel and fertiliser crisis, because Labor is not listening. Surging fuel prices and rationing are aggressively exacerbating Labor's cost-of-living crisis and putting our primary producers at extreme risk. The government claims that there is plenty of supply in the country, but, on the ground, the reality is starkly different. Wholesalers have begun rationing petrol and diesel. Transport companies are being cut off from bulk supplies and forced to purchase retail fuel. Suppliers are being told to prioritise retail stations over farms and fishers. Many regional pumps, relied upon by our communities, have already run dry.

John Horgan, a constituent from Wudinna, has informed my office that Mogas in Wudinna have stated that they are not delivering to farmers. Robin Hughes of R&L Hughes Transport tells me:

I can't get fuel delivered on site.

Normally, he fills up his trucks every two days. Now, he's filling up at the end of every day in case he is forced to wear the cost of another price increase. A fill-up that normally costs 800 bucks cost 1,200 bucks only yesterday. As Robin warned me, 'We may not see the repercussions yet, but maintenance on trucks will be the first to go.' He was blunt:

This government is not working for the people. People do not trust the government, and that is why they're panic buying. I understand why farmers are panic buying. Their livelihoods depend on it.

I do not blame Robin for his statement. I do not blame some Aussie punters for buying more fuel than they need, because no-one trusts this minister and this government. Let's remind ourselves that Minister Bowen and the now Prime Minister said on 97 occasions that your power bill will reduce by $275. Minister Bowen said, 'This is the most comprehensive modelling ever.' Well, what happened? Prices did not go down. In fact, they went up—now over 40 per cent. No wonder no-one trusts you to manage this crisis.

This vulnerability extends to fertiliser. We rely on the Middle East for almost half of our urea imports, with usage peaking in April prior to seeding—as we are about to get ready for on our farm. NeuRizer was incredibly close to domestic production in Leigh Creek before stifling red and green tape made approvals impossible. Without reliable urea supply, we are facing a disastrous food security crisis—not just a farming crisis.

But it is not just businesses. My office has received messages today from struggling and desperate South Australians. Lisa Lemon from Two Wells has reached out and shared her story, and I think it hits home: 'In two weeks, the price at Angle Vale OTR has gone from $1.75 on 26 February to today's price of $2.40, a difference of 64c a litre. I'm a solo mum with a toddler and a fuel tank of 80 litres. I'm also on a very tight budget until I return to work. I must go to suburbia from Two Wells a few times a week, at a minimum, for education, medical, shopping or other things we can't get. At 64c a litre more, it now costs our little family $50 more a tank. I'll be returning to work soon, and I fear the costs I'll face then—if it's even financially viable for me to do so. Governments push to get mums back to work, but this may be just another barrier in our path.'

The Leader of the Opposition wrote to the Prime Minister to form a bipartisan taskforce to reduce government spending and fix the cost-of-living crisis so people like Lisa and Robin can get on with living their lives the Australian way. But there has been no response. Labor's economic failures mean the consequences of this Middle East conflict will be far worse for everyday Australians. Minister Bowen and the Treasurer keep telling us they've met with this group and with that group. 'Let's form a roundtable.' What? But listening only gets you so far. As a minister of the Crown, action is more important. My farmers and fishers are rightly nervous. Get the damn fuel moving around this country. We are here to work for the Australian people. Do it.

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