Andrew Hastie (Canning, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Industry and Sovereign Capability) Share this | Hansard source

In a crisis, people look for leadership and they want to know that there is someone in command of the situation. By the energy minister's own admission, we are in the midst of a national fuel crisis. Under the leadership of the Albanese government, we start this crisis in one of the worst economic positions we can be in. Inflation is up, at 3.8 per cent. Interest rates are up, rents are up, power prices are up, health premiums are up and now Australians are facing more pressure because fuel prices are up. They're also facing fuel shortages. There are 500 service stations across this country without fuel. Diesel is $3 per litre and petrol is over $2.50 per litre. In a just-in-time diesel economy like ours, all those costs are being passed on to working Australians who've had their purchasing power taken away from them over the last four years under this Labor government.

People want leadership. They want a plan. Our question to the Albanese government today is: Prime Minister, where is your plan? Why haven't you called a National Cabinet meeting for today, working with the state premiers to ensure that our service stations are ready to deliver fuel to the Australian people who need it? The truth is you don't have a plan. You've been caught asleep at the wheel, and now world events are going to make a lot of working Australians pay through their hip pocket.

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