Andrew Gee (Calare, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. The government has finally listened to the call of many on the crossbench, including me, to cut the fuel excise. Last week I introduced my fair fuel price bill into parliament. When I did so, I called on the government to slash the fuel tax. In fact, when I raised it in question time last week with the Prime Minister and I asked him to slash the excise, certain members in this place laughed. Well, they're not laughing now. The announcement that the fuel excise will be halved for three months is a welcome piece of news. It's a step in the right direction and it is what the crossbench had been calling for. This is what I had been calling for. So I appreciate the Prime Minister heeding the call. It's the right decision to make and it's the right call, but more is needed.

City motorists might see some immediate relief, but regional Australia knows that it will take a lot longer before even a cent of that relief filters down to our local pumps. Residents in the Central West are concerned that there is no guarantee that this reduction will actually be passed on at all. Given the predatory patterns we have seen so far, we know that any relief may be short lived. In regional Australia, we are very concerned that potential savings could easily be eaten up by service stations, fuel retailers and petrol companies jacking up the prices yet again. We saw fuel prices jump before the effects of war had even started. Prices were rising on fuel that was already in the country. Since then, pump prices have been rising faster than crude oil prices, which means that price gouging has been occurring. So this initiative on excise can't be the end of the story on fuel price relief; more is needed to complement what the government has put in place.

The government has increased penalties for price gouging, but it hasn't made it any easier to prosecute price gouging offenders. You can count the number of successful price gouging prosecutions over the last 20 years on one hand. What the government has done is akin to doubling the jail time for theft but never actually finding very many people guilty of it. It sounds good, but it doesn't deliver the fuel price relief that our communities are demanding.

The underwriting of fuel shipments to Australia is a good thing, and I support it, but it's still not going to stop the price gougers and the rip-offs. That is exactly why my fair fuel price bill is so essential—it stops the rip-offs. They are happening and have been happening for a long time. We're no stranger to it in country New South Wales.

We can't wait to act. The parliament is not going to sit again until May, so either we can do more now or we can watch prices continue to spiral towards $4 a litre. My fair fuel price bill would allow the Commonwealth government to temporarily regulate fuel prices during periods of extraordinary global disruptions, such as a war or similar crises. It would allow the minister, in consultation with the Treasurer, to set and control the price of unleaded petrol and also diesel.

This bill demands to be heard urgently because our country is in the midst of this devastating crisis. Both country and city communities are being pummelled by these prices. It's smashing our local businesses and it's stinging everyone, from pensioners to families. So urgent action is required and leadership is required. That is why this fair fuel price bill, which I brought to this place, is so important. It will reintroduce fuel price controls of the type ushered in during the Second World War to Australia. In 1939, this parliament passed the National Security Act, which gave the federal government the power to set fuel prices for the duration of that conflict. It was aimed at preventing price gouging, and it was effective. The fair fuel price bill gives the government the power to set fuel prices for the duration of the current conflict in the Middle East.

Our communities expect that members of this place come in with constructive comment, constructive ideas and constructive legislation, and that is what I have done with this legislation. Sky-high prices are throttling our country, community members and businesses. Our farmers can't get the diesel they need to put their crops in the ground. As we are speaking, farmers in the Central West of New South Wales are meeting and talking about whether they should actually put a crop in the ground. That's where we are. If farmers aren't going to be putting crops in the ground, the food's not going to turn up on the supermarket shelves in the cities and this country will not eat. So this fuel crisis can very easily turn into a food security crisis. It's happening before our eyes.

People in the bush have been putting up with sky-high fuel prices for many years. We've been campaigning on this in Mudgee for a long time. Prices in the main street of Mudgee are regularly 40c a litre more expensive than they are in other parts of the state. If you want to have a look at the current market, look no further than Yeoval. Today in Yeoval, the price for diesel is $3.479. These prices are not just high prices; they're like ransom notes to country people. We know that people in country communities have further distances to drive, so these skyrocketing fuel prices have a disproportionate effect on country people.

I saw that the Treasurer is writing to the ACCC to ensure that this excise saving is not eaten up by price increases. It's just talk. We're sick of the talk; we need action. When I was raising the issue of sky-high fuel prices in Mudgee with the Treasurer, he helpfully set up a meeting with the ACCC, and we met with them. But it didn't result in any action, because they don't have the ability to take it. All we've done is double penalties for price gouging, but we haven't actually given the ACCC more or better powers to prosecute petrol price fixes.

Our communities are tired of there being all talk and no action, and we want decisive leadership on this. The ABC's Alan Kohler recently pointed out that Australian retail petrol prices have risen to levels higher than they were in 2022 even though global crude oil prices have not returned to these peaks. He points out that this discrepancy indicates that margins have expanded significantly. In other words, it's petrol price gouging. We know it's happening. Everyone in the country knows it's happening, and it's got to stop. That's why my bill, the Fair Fuel Price Bill, is so important. But I want the House to be made aware of how much pain this issue is causing in our area.

I received an email from Kristy, who is an assistant in nursing. She has to drive about 45 minutes to get to work. She's earning $26.61 an hour. She says:

With current fuel prices, it is no longer financially viable for me to continue in my role. Despite working full-time, I have been forced to take on a second job just to survive. Even then, I am left with only $2.30 in my account this week after paying my mortgage. I am currently limiting myself to one meal a day so that my children can have three.

That's one example.

Bathurst Community Transport have contacted me. They said:

This latest crisis of fuel prices, coupled with the closure of Victoria Pass has brought us to our knees …

…   …   …

Without immediate relief, Bathurst Community Transport will have no choice but to reduce services to only those assessed as highest need—leaving thousands of clients in your electorate at risk of losing the transport that allows them to live independently.

Alex runs a disability support business. He said:

I, like many, am also feeling this at the hip pocket both from my business and my family. My business is a small, family run disability support company who prides itself on being able to get the members of our community out and about to much needed medical appointments and social engagement with friends and family.

While our fuel use isn't as much as other businesses, it still hurts. Our usage is generally around 900L a month, and climbing. When fuel hits $3 a litre this means our business will be consuming around $2,700 a month in fuel alone, that's $32,400 a year. This is not sustainable long term for us.

Elise writes in and tells me about the school excursions which are being cut because of these skyrocketing fuel prices.

Luke Knight from L-Con Building & Construction in Orange has written to me. He told me about the skyrocketing price increases from suppliers for the materials used to build our homes and factories. He says:

Using PVC as a prime example, the rise will be basically equal to the entire covid and subsequent 4-year period combined. This is extraordinary.

I am very alarmed by these increases. Let's hope it's not for long as any momentum with housing supply increase will be lost, just as we get traction.

People really can't afford building now, let alone if pricing will increase again.

Ric Ross from the Mudgee area believes that 'to not have adequate supplies is inconceivable in the current world economic climate and shows a lack of foresight and complete incompetence'. My former colleague the late Jim Molan would agree with that. He championed our country having greater fuel reserves, but, sadly, that fell on deaf ears.

Edward Brown from my electorate has written in to point out the discrepancy between the price of crude oil and the price at the petrol pump. It is proof of the price gouging and the profiteering that is occurring.

Josh from the Calare electorate indicates that the price increases are soaring, and they are increasing multiple times per day. He says:

Whilst I am aware that the ACCC has threatened to investigate wholesalers and retailers, we cannot afford to wait for a potential investigation which will not see proceeds returned to the customers being hit. Regional NSW also does not have the luxury of relying on public transport infrastructure as a an alternate form of commute due to decades of federal and state government neglect of this issue.

Jules Fotheringham writes:

Of particular concern in regional communities like ours is the availability of diesel. Supply disruptions, cancelled shipments, and increased demand have led to shortages at service stations, with some areas experiencing difficulty accessing fuel altogether. This is deeply worrying given the reliance of regional economies on diesel for agriculture, transport, and essential services.

Jules is absolutely correct. It is extremely concerning.

Liz Hammond has written to me. She lives in the Cargo area between Orange and Canowindra. She says:

As someone who lives out of town and has a child attending school, reliable access to diesel is not a convenience but a necessity. Daily travel for school drop-offs, work, and essential errands depends on being able to obtain fuel when needed. The current situation is making this increasingly difficult and stressful, particularly when supply becomes uncertain.

Tom Brownjohn from Godfrey Smith Funerals writes in basically on behalf of the funeral industry and says:

Our operations rely heavily on transport, particularly diesel-powered vehicles, to attend places of death, transfer the deceased into care, and conduct funeral services across multiple locations. In regional areas, this often involves significant travel distances.

He worries that their ability to carry out those vital services are heavily impacted by this fuel crisis, and he wants funeral services classed as an essential service.

Those are just a few stories from the Central West of New South Wales, and that is why action is needed on the double. What the government has put forward is a start, but it simply does not go far enough. My Fair Fuel Price Bill 2026 provides a tangible and effective solution. It brings in price controls and allows the federal government to set prices on fuel, just as it did in the Second World War. Until we have the courage to step in and regulate these prices during this extraordinary period of war and disruption, the national interest will continue to be ignored in favour of fuel company margins. The price gouging continues, and we all know it is.

The bill that we are discussing today is a step in the right direction, but it can't be the end of the story or the last word. In this fuel crisis, profit is being put ahead of people, the very people who work in our hospitals, teach our children or put food on supermarket shelves and tables. I would urge the government to support my Fair Fuel Price Bill and bring prices back to reality. (Time expired)

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