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

I rise today on behalf of the people of regional, rural and remote South Australia, and, indeed, on behalf of every Australian who lives beyond the reach of a Metro bus or a train line. When the Prime Minister stood on the podium on election night, he made a solemn vow to the Australian people to govern for all Australians. It was a tidy phrase designed for a city sound bite. But, nearly four years later, that promise has been exposed. The hard truth is that this prime minister has forgotten the regions. He's governing for the inner city cafes and high-rise boardrooms, while the families and farmers who grow our food and haul our produce are being treated as an afterthought in the midst of a fuel crisis. Look at the chaos at our bowsers. As of Tuesday, nearly 10 per cent of bowsers in SA are out of fuel. Of course, they are all in the regions. National prices have hit record highs. For a family in Sydney, this is a budget strain. For a fisher or a farmer in my electorate or a truckie moving across the Nullarbor, it is a threat to their very livelihood.

We have a full-time COP president and a part-time energy minister in Chris Bowen. He appears to be asleep at the wheel. On one day the government tells us there is no problem. On the next, there's a national crisis. This confusion is shredding public confidence. If stocks are as strong as they claim, then this is a staggering failure of supply chain management. Instead of blaming farmers and businesses, the government need to level with us. Where are the daily updates? What is the plan to get fuel to the regions, where it is desperately needed?

The neglect does not stop at the fuel tank. Our national food security is under a silent mounting threat. Australia relies on the Middle East for roughly 60 per cent of the urea imports, the lifeblood of our crops. Shipments are being delayed or cancelled. Experts warn that the window to avoid impacts on the 2026 season is closing fast.

The coalition saw this coming. We committed $250 million to the NAIF to kickstart domestic urea production via the Perdaman project near Karratha. We acted to ensure we weren't at the mercy of global instability. This government, however, has no plan for domestic production or a serious national food security strategy. If our farmers cannot access fertiliser, the cost of living in the cities will skyrocket. But it is the regional producer who will go bankrupt first.

Finally, we look at the EU free trade agreement—free trade that's not so free. Free trade is central to our prosperity, but it must be done right. The deal Labor is currently shopping around offers no commercially meaningful access for our agricultural exporters. It is a surrender of sovereignty. Since when did we decide that the Europeans should dictate what we call our own products? Labor calls it a reprieve that we can still use names like prosecco. I call it a failure to stand up for Australian interests.

The message from the country is loud and clear—we are tired of being ignored. Reports that the states are begging for direction from Anthony Albanese are deeply concerning. This reveals a vacuum at the top when clear national resolve is needed most. Instead of stepping up, the Prime Minister is passing responsibility back to the states. That is not leadership; that is deflection. Outsourcing this crisis to a taskforce coordinator only reinforces the chilling sense that no-one is firmly in charge of this crisis. Under Labor, inflation is higher, interest rates are tighter and fuel is running out. The Prime Minister cannot claim to govern for all Australians when he has turned his back on the country. It is time to stop deflecting and start showing real leadership because, if the country stops, the city starves.

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