Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the leader of the National Party in the House—I think is the title at the moment. I thank him for his question. The national fuel security plan outlines very clearly the stages that we're at. We're at stage 2, 'Keeping Australia moving', and that's where we want to stay. But that doesn't mean that you don't plan for contingencies and that you don't be overprepared for what may occur in the future. As we have said very clearly, 20 per cent of our reserves have been released, and they've been prioritised into those regional areas.

The decision that we made on Saturday, which will allow for the purchase of additional fuels and will, in addition to that, allow for the potential purchase of fertilisers, should they be available anywhere, making sure that private sector operators can invest over the odds effectively in what they would have had before this war began on the international market. I know the member really does know that there is an impact from the war in the Middle East and that that has led to an increase in prices, not just for oil but for fertiliser and other products as well, including PVC piping. There are a range of things that are related. This will allow for the purchase to occur. That's why it has been welcomed so strongly.

The issue of your leader in the other place—the actual leader of the National Party, who's in the Senate, said, 'Obviously our fuel prices will be impacted by the world price.' That's what Senator Canavan, the actual Leader of the Nationals, had to say. The former leader of the Nationals had this to say: 'People just need to calm themselves down. Yes, there's an issue with supply and distribution, but certainly we don't want to see a toilet roll situation, because it's one thing to hoard toilet rolls; it's another thing to hoard petrol.'

I want to give credit and a shout-out to the member for New England. He contacted me constructively on Friday. We had engagement on Saturday as well about actually coming up with solutions. I give credit where credit's due. My door is open and my phone is on for people who actually want to be constructive and work on the national interest—and I think that contrasts with the party that he used to belong to.

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