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

The war in the Middle East is absolutely real, and that is why I certainly agree with the statement, which is real as well. I'm actually talking to Andrew Hastie, the deputy Liberal leader in the House of Representatives, who said—and this will be consistent with what I will say tonight—this is where every Australian has to just keep calm and carry on, and do what they can to look after themselves and their neighbours. We've got a lot of oil and gas and other precious commodities trapped in the Persian Gulf behind the Strait of Hormuz, so until the war is resolved we're going to feel supply pressures. That was real when the member for Canning said it. It's real when every member of the government understands it. But it's also real to say that every single shipload of fuel that was due to come here in March arrived on schedule. That is absolutely true.

What is required at times like this is to be considered, be orderly and work through issues—not to pretend there aren't challenges. The government doesn't pretend that; they're being faced by the entire world, whether they be issues of supply down the track or whether they be income pressures that are on people. That's why we've acted on both of those issues in a responsible and orderly way, which is how my government operates here.

See this speech in context