Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I thank my honourable friend for the question and for everything he's done in this House since he arrived here this year. We've heard this week from the President of the European Commission and the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency about just how acute this international crisis is, and both made the point that no country is immune from its impacts—a point the Prime Minister and I and the entire government have been making now for the best part of a month. There will be impacts. We need to prepare, and we need to ensure that we use this as an opportunity to increase our sovereign capability as well.

On Friday last, in Brisbane, I announced changes to the fuel security services payment to ensure that our two existing refineries continue to operate after a decade where we saw the de-industrialisation of Australian refining and saw four refineries shut their operations in Australia. Enough! No refinery will close under the Albanese government, and the payments we announced on Friday in Brisbane will ensure that that is the case. I'm very pleased to have been able to work with the refiners to ensure that that is the case.

Today, I can announce further measures, because we continue to see shortages in diesel. Despite the fact our national stocks are strong and imports continue to arrive, we continue to see shortages around the country, as honourable members have said. We should do everything sensible to increase supply, so I can announce today that I have changed the diesel standards when it comes to the combustion temperature and allowed a slightly lower combustion temperature of 60.5 degrees, which is called the flashpoint and which provides a little more flexibility to importers as to what diesel we can import into Australia and a little more flexibility for refiners to switch between fuels as well.

These are practical measures, not suggested by the opposition—not suggested at any point by any member opposite—but taken by us to get the job done. These are the sorts of practical things which add to what we've already done. Releasing 20 per cent of the minimum stock obligation was not an easy decision and not a decision lightly taken but 100 per cent the right decision in the circumstances—and not just released carte blanche but released on the condition from those entities that they will see the spot market and the regional areas supplied. That is having an effect now. The increase in sulphur rules, which could not apply to diesel despite some members opposite saying it should, simply could not be allowed to be applied to diesel. And this flashpoint decision today will see additional diesel supply into Australia, which will see increased supply from our refiners and increased flexibility for our refiners. These are practical measures taken by a government taking action in the face of international uncertainty when all we have seen from the opposition is partisanship, not patriotism.

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