Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to counter the assertion that the government has been found flat-footed on the issue of fuel security. You can't suggest that we're flat-footed and then say we're not acting expeditiously enough. Those opposite need to make up their mind about that. It's completely inaccurate and, quite honestly, unfair. I know, having come into this place almost 10 years ago, that we have better fuel reserves now than we had then, under the former government, which saw the closure of refineries and certainly wasn't acting to secure fuel certainty, as this government has done—off the back of what I might say have been extraordinary circumstances the world over. Crude oil has doubled in price in the last month alone, and we've seen an extraordinarily geographically difficult conflict in a strait of water that has been taken prisoner by Iran. So to suggest that we have been flat-footed and had no action is a complete misrepresentation of the action this government has taken.

I rise today in strong support of the Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026, which will again be a piece of legislation that we have worked quickly and adroitly to get through this place to help with the circumstances and a world in flux as we see it at the moment. This is a practical, targeted and time-sensitive reform designed to respond to extraordinary global circumstances that are placing significant pressure on Australia's road transport industry. And I want to give shout-out to the truckies of Australia today. You are turning up, delivering and doing your darndest for our nation, and we thank you for it.

As we know, the conflict in the Middle East has emerged rapidly and, with it, sharp volatility in global fuel markets. The flow-on effects have been immediate and profound. Fuel prices are surging. Supply chains are under strain. Across Australia, road transport businesses, many of them small and family run, are facing mounting financial pressure, with very little time to respond. Our government sees you, we hear you and we are working with you. The duration and full scale of these impacts remain uncertain. What I mean by that is that we don't know when this war is going to end. But we are working to mitigate the circumstances of it every minute of every day. What is clear is that the consequences are being felt now.

This bill amends the Fair Work Act 2009 to ensure that our industrial relations framework is capable of responding quickly and effectively in times of national economic stress. It enables Minister Rishworth, who has worked day and night on this in recent days, to recognise when extraordinary circumstances are having a significant national impact and to trigger an expedited process so that the Fair Work Commission can act more quickly. That means faster decisions on contract chain orders, ensuring that rising fuel costs can be dealt with fairly across supply chains rather than being borne disproportionately by drivers and small operators. It's an important safeguard, and it's a necessary one in times like this. In circumstances like this, delays have real consequences.

Importantly, this bill does not alter the independent role of the Fair Work Commission. It respects that role. The commission will continue to assess applications and make decisions independently, but this bill will ensure that in times of crisis it can act with urgency. This legislation builds on the significant steps the government has already taken to respond to this fuel crisis. We've acted quickly to protect Australians, doubling penalties for petrol price gouging and really teething up the ACCC to increase monitoring, enforcement and crackdown. We've acted to stabilise supply, releasing a portion of Australia's fuel reserves. We've adjusted the fuel standards to increase availability. And we've been working with our international partners to ensure that those ships keep coming. We're a reliable partner with LNG and coal, and they know they need to reciprocate those deals—and they are—but we're working constructively with them.

We've coordinated nationally, convening National Cabinet, working with states and territories, and activating key emergency coordination mechanisms to ensure that fuel continues to flow where it's needed. And we've been engaging directly with industry every step of the way. This bill is another step in this response, because, when supply and price oversight are critical, we must also ensure fairness within the supply chain itself. If this bill isn't passed in this autumn sitting, the consequences are clear: road transport contractors may be forced to absorb rising fuel costs for an indeterminate period. I thank the House.

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