Alison Penfold (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is facing a fuel crisis at the worst possible time. After four years of economic mismanagement under the Albanese government, Australian households are already under immense pressure, working harder, paying more and getting less. Now a fuel supply shock is compounding that pressure across every corner of our economy. Fuel is not just another expense; fuel is the cost of everything.

While I welcome the government's move to finally listen to the Australian people and the coalition to halve the fuel excise for six months, this is a short-term measure when we undoubtedly require both immediate relief and long-term vision and action. When fuel prices rise, it flows through to groceries, freight, farming, tourism and small business. Right now Australians are seeing the consequence in real time. We're seeing petrol prices nearing $2.60 a litre and diesel climbing above $3.30 a litre. We're seeing service stations running dry, both in regional communities and in our cities. Independent service stations in my electorate are on the verge of collapse and indeed some people have stopped filling their tanks because they simply can no longer afford it.

Businesses in Lyne that rely heavily on diesel for their operations, such as the Dorney family in Bulahdelah, are having to sell off their own assets to keep the business afloat to pay their fuel bill in the face of surging fuel prices. Their fuel bill was typically around $200,000 a month. It's now at $400,000 a month. This is a business, a sawmill, that has also been smashed by the decision of the New South Wales government to create the Great Koala National Park and to put a moratorium on native harvesting. So, at the same time that they are having to deal with these rising fuel prices, they're not getting the throughput in timber to be able to offset the costs.

We're seeing families rethink everyday decisions—whether they can afford to drive their kids to sport, visit loved ones or take a planned holiday. I spoke to one junior rugby league club only recently. This was a club that I worked with during the May floods last year. They've got young players who can't afford their registration. I've offered to help because I want these kids not to miss out. These are the sorts of decisions that families are taking. I respect—and I'm sure—that these are the conversations that all members, regardless of where they sit in this chamber, are having with their local communities. As we're seeing, these are not theoretical problems. These are issues that are happening right now.

What's been the government's response? From our perspective, there's been delay. I felt, in that sitting week when these issues first arose, that there was certainly denial about the impacts on regional Australia. I think out in the community there's certainly confusion. For weeks, Australians were told that there was no problem—until, suddenly, we're told it is a national crisis; we have a fuel supply crisis. I know the Prime Minister's view is very much that he's shown leadership. I have to question that, because what many people have said to me is that they've seen a government asleep at the wheel.

Now we have before us this legislation. Let me be clear; the coalition will always support practical measures that improve supply in a crisis. This bill will enable Export Finance Australia to step in during extraordinary disruptions and to finance and ensure the import of essential goods like fuel and fertiliser. This is a sensible and necessary step, but we must also be honest about what this bill actually does—because this bill does not get fuel to empty stations today, it does not bring down prices tomorrow and it does not fix the structural weaknesses that have left Australia exposed.

But there's an even deeper problem here. The bill exposes a fundamental inequity in the government's approach. Who is this support really for? This legislation effectively underwrites the purchase of fuel by major corporate importers—large, well-capitalised players who already dominate the supply chain. But what about the rest of the supply chain? What about the wholesale distributors? What about the independent operators? What about the small, family-run service stations in regional Australia? They are the ones on the front line of this crisis. They are the ones struggling to secure supply. They are the ones facing skyrocketing wholesale prices and tightening credit, and they are the ones who are least capable of carrying—but are expected to carry—the risk.

The government is stepping in to support the top end of the market but is leaving the little guys to fend for themselves. It's forgetting the small-business service station owners who are trying to find the capital to fill their tanks. It's forgetting the independent distributor who's being squeezed between rising global prices and limited access to supply. I believe, and I've said in this chamber, that there has been hoarding happening during this crisis. It's a matter that I have written to the Treasurer about—to request that the ACCC have an antihoarding power that it currently does not have. The government is forgetting the small operators who are quite literally trying to keep fuel flowing to their communities. Here is the reality: you cannot have fuel at the bowser if small operators can't afford to put fuel in the tank, and, right now, many of them are struggling to do exactly that.

This is a government who talks about resilience but is ignoring the very part of the supply chain that delivers fuel to Australians. It's underwriting imports but not supporting distribution. It's backing the majors but forgetting the small businesses that keep regional Australia moving. That is a fundamental flaw, and it's compounded by the government's broader policy settings. While they're now stepping in to underwrite imported fuel, they've actively restricted investment in Australian energy production. Through changes to the statement of expectations last year, the government removed Export Finance Australia's ability to support coal, oil and gas projects. They told the agency to prioritise a narrow ideological agenda and, in so doing, they weakened Australia's economic and energy security. So we now have a situation where the government is funding imports of fuel while restricting support for producing it here. If these fuels are important enough to stockpile, they're clearly important enough to produce. If energy security matters, domestic capability must come first.

Under the coalition, Export Finance Australia supported Australia's national interest. It backed exporters, it backed jobs and it backed the industries that underpin our economy. Coal, oil and gas are not abstract industries. They are the backbone of regional economies and a key source of national wealth. But, under this government, Export Finance Australia has been repurposed to fit an ideological agenda, one that excludes the very industries we now depend upon in this crisis. So I'm calling on the government to remove the restrictions that prevent Export Finance Australia from supporting coal, gas and crude oil. I'm calling on the government to back Australian production, not block it. Importantly, I'm calling on the government to recognise the full supply chain, not just the major importers at the top, because if the government is serious about fuel security, it must support production, importation, distribution and retail, not just one part of the system.

We must also address the immediate cost pressures Australians are facing because this bill does nothing to reduce prices at the bowser today. That's why the coalition called for immediate, targeted relief through a temporary halving of the fuel excise, which would deliver around 26c per litre in savings, providing immediate relief to families and small businesses who are struggling right now. I thank the government for the announcement today, which I'm sure will be welcomed by Australians.

This crisis is exposing the consequences of four years of poor decisions. There has been a failure to build domestic capability, a failure to support key industries and now a failure to support the small businesses that keep fuel flowing across this country. The government is underwriting the majors while leaving small operators to carry the risk. It's backing big corporate importers while forgetting the independent service stations and distributors who are the backbone of regional fuel supply. If this war does come to an end and we have a situation where we see prices for fuel drop substantially, what we will have is a situation where the government will cover the difference in cost for the major players but leave small service station operators with fuel in their tanks for which they've paid substantially more than market price. It's going to be a significant issue for many small service station operators around the country.

While I support the decision and the bill that's before us today, my concern remains that there is still a matter of the availability of fuel right now, because if small operators cannot afford to buy fuel, then there'll be no fuel at the bowser. It's that simple. Yes, we will support this bill as a necessary step. But I want to say to the government: please do not stop here. Fix the underlying policy settings. Restore support for Australian energy production. Support the entire fuel supply chain, not just those at the top end, and deliver real immediate relief to Australians doing it tough. Restoring fuel security is not just about imports, it's about ensuring that every part of the supply chain, from producer to distributor to small service station, can keep Australia moving. My constituents, and all Australians, deserve nothing less.

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