Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians) Share this | Hansard source

In the Berowra electorate families, tradies, truckies and small businesses are being hit from every direction. They've already been battered by Labor's inflation, high interest rates, rising grocery bills and soaring power prices. Now they're confronting a fuel supply crisis and a fuel price crisis at the same time. People are pulling up to the bowser shocked by the price, and too often they're finding there's no fuel at all. The Prime Minister still has no plan—no urgency—and has provided no leadership. Only days ago, his part-time energy minister was assuring Australians there was no fuel crisis at all.

We might not be able to control the war, but we can control how we respond. The Prime Minister needs to get the petrol to hundreds of stations that have run dry and deliver relief for Australians who can't afford to fill up even when they can find fuel. About 50 minutes ago, the Prime Minister announced he will introduce our policy of halving the fuel excise for the next three months. Our policy will cut prices by 26c a litre and save Australians around $16 million a day. That's an important step.

This afternoon the Prime Minister needs to focus on three more of our calls: introduce a detailed plan to distribute fuel supplies to where they're needed most, be transparent in providing daily updates on where the fuel shortages are occurring and introduce a longer term plan to address the petrol crisis which is occurring on his watch. Easter is only days away and motorists, communities and businesses in my community need certainty now.

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