Julie-Ann Campbell (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Australians understand that we are living through uncertain times. We are seeing instability overseas, disruptions to global markets and events far beyond our shores affecting prices right here at home. Families feel it when they pull up at the bowser, small businesses feel it when their transport and supply costs rise, industries that rely on fuel and freight feel it across their operations, and communities feel it when rising costs place even more pressure on already stretched household budgets. That is because fuel touches almost every part of our economy. When fuel costs rise, transport becomes more expensive, freight becomes more expensive and businesses face higher operating costs. Those pressures do not stop there. They flow through supply chains, onto supermarket shelves and into the weekly budgets of everyday Australian families. Australians are rightly frustrated when events unfolding so far away overseas end up making life more expensive here at home.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has contributed to volatility in global energy markets and placed pressure on fuel prices internationally. While Australia remains well positioned and our fuel supply continues to operate effectively, responsible governments do not cross their fingers and hope for the best. Responsible governments prepare, and that is what this Albanese Labor government is doing with this legislation. Resilience is not built in the middle of a crisis; it is built long beforehand. That's why this government is taking practical action to ensure Australia is better equipped to respond when global uncertainty places that pressure on our families, businesses and the broader community. We are strengthening our preparedness, we're improving coordination when extraordinary circumstances arise and we're ensuring that the systems are in place to respond quickly when disruption threatens supply chains, prices or indeed economic stability. That is what this bill is designed to do.

The Competition and Consumer Amendment (Responding to Exceptional Circumstances) Bill 2026 is a practical and measured response to global uncertainty. It gives government and it gives regulators the tools that they need to respond more quickly during extraordinary circumstances that threaten those supply chains, that increase costs or that place additional pressure on Australian consumers and on Australian businesses. It streamlines coordination when swift action is needed and strengthens penalties for serious breaches of the Oil Code of Conduct to reinforce accountability in the fuel market and to reinforce not just accountability but fairness in the fuel market to make sure that the actions that large businesses take are not negatively affecting the Australian people when it matters the most and when hip pockets are tight. Most importantly, this bill is about prevention. It's about making sure that we are not waiting until supply disruptions deepen, prices spike further or businesses face avoidable disruption before acting. Instead, in quite the contrast, it ensures that Australia has sensible tools available to respond early, to coordinate effectively and to keep our economy moving.

The first major reform in this bill creates new powers to allow faster and more effective coordination during extraordinary circumstances—extraordinary circumstances that we have seen of late. It is important to be clear about exactly what this means. The bill allows the Treasurer to declare extraordinary circumstances where there is a serious risk to the Australian economy, businesses or consumers but where those circumstances may fall short of a formal national emergency. It's when things are tough, it's when matters are extraordinary, and it's when we know that someone needs to step in to protect our businesses and our people. That distinction matters. Not every significant disruption reaches the threshold of a national emergency declaration, but there are moments when swift and coordinated action is still necessary to minimise economic harm.

Under existing arrangements, businesses can already seek authorisation from the ACCC to coordinate in certain circumstances. The problem is that the current system can be too slow. The current system can be too cumbersome when time matters and when time is of the utmost importance. In ordinary times, that process is absolutely appropriate—we need to make sure that we are working through a systematic process. But extraordinary circumstances require flexibility. They require pace. They require the quick coordination that only this legislation can deliver. We know from past crises that events can move quickly. Supply chains can shift overnight, consumer demand can change rapidly, and global disruptions can escalate without much warning at all. During moments such as the pandemic, businesses and regulators learned the importance of responding quickly to changing conditions to ensure that Australians could still access essential goods and services, to make sure that the Australian people could get what they needed in a tough time. Waiting months for processes to unfold simply does not make sense when circumstances are moving so very quickly.

This bill enables the ACCC to grant faster, streamlined approvals so that business can coordinate in practical ways that support Australians and complement the work of government. I want to emphasise that point specifically—'complement the work of government'. This is not replacing government action. It is about government, regulators and industry working together in harmony to minimise the harm. In the current context, this could mean businesses working together to reduce unnecessary fuel consumption. It could mean businesses working together to improve logistics, to manage transport efficiency or, indeed, to avoid avoidable disruptions to those supply chains. It could mean better coordination to reduce costs. It could mean improving efficiency and maintaining reliability for consumers instead of waiting for shortages or disruptions to emerge. Businesses can work collaboratively to prevent them. We know that, when times are tough in this country, our communities are very good at coming together. Our communities are very good at looking at what needs to be done and working with each other to solve problems. This bill helps make that possible, and this bill helps bolster the Australian spirit to drive together to find those solutions with government. Prevention is always better than reaction. If we can avoid unnecessary price pressures before they hit households, that matters. If we can keep supply chains functioning smoothly, that matters. And, if we can reduce disruption for businesses and consumers, that matters.

Now, whenever governments introduce extraordinary powers, Australians rightly expect safeguards, and this bill has them. These are not open ended powers. They are limited, they are targeted and they are temporary. They are built for exactly what this bill intends to address: extraordinary circumstances. Declarations must relate to genuine extraordinary circumstances that present risks to the economy, to businesses or to consumers. The powers are subject to clear legal requirements, and they're subject to public accountability. The ACCC must continue to consider the public interest, and coordinated conduct must remain proportionate and appropriate.

These arrangements are designed for exceptional situations, rather than being permanent changes to how businesses operate. We have seen what happens when exceptional circumstances come into play. We were all there for the pandemic, when people were unsure as to what would happen next. We have all been there more recently, as fuel has been incredibly challenging for people at the bowser, as people have watched the numbers tick over and worried about where their groceries might come from. We were there, and what we remember, in this country, is that coordination, stability, a clear plan—a plan rolled out by this government—is what has helped people get through those tough times and navigate those extraordinary circumstances. This is about making sure that we have a framework for that happening again and again and again.

Australians have an expectation, and it's an expectation that they deserve to get an answer to. Australians expect governments to act decisively when circumstances demand it, but they also expect us to act responsibly. This bill strikes that balance—a responsible government, a decisive government when exceptions are extraordinary.

Labor is focused on keeping Australia moving, because, when supply chains fail, Australians can feel it. When transport slows, Australians can feel it. When fuel costs ripple through the economy, it is Australians on the front line, and they can feel that too. We see it in rising prices, delivery delays, higher business costs and the additional strain on family budgets. For communities like mine in Moreton on Brisbane's southside, these pressures are very real. People rely on affordable transport to get to work. Small businesses rely on efficient freight and logistics. Families, already having stretched their budgets, do not have room for unnecessary price increases caused by avoidable disruptions. This bill recognises that reality. It is practical reform, it's real reform, and it's preventive reform. And it is designed to reduce the likelihood that Australians pay more because governments or regulators failed to act early enough.

The second major reform in this bill concerns accountability, because, in times of instability, Australians rightly expect businesses to do the right thing, to not take advantage of a crisis. The bill strengthens penalties for breaches of the Oil Code of Conduct. Significantly stronger penalties will apply to corporations that breach their obligations, including penalties tied to turnover or financial benefit where appropriate, ensuring that misconduct is not simply treated as the cost of doing business. This sends an important message: periods of global disruption are not an opportunity for bad actors to ignore obligations or to exploit instability. Australians expect fairness, they expect transparency, and they expect confidence that the rules will be enforced, particularly when the chips are down. The stronger penalties in this bill support those expectations. They reinforce accountability and they strengthen confidence in Australia's fuel market at a time when trust and stability matter more than ever.

This bill does not exist in isolation. It forms a part of a broader commitment by this Albanese Labor government to help Australians manage cost-of-living pressures and strengthen our economic resilience. We know that global shocks affect household budgets. We have seen inflationary pressures flow through international supply chains. We have seen energy and transport costs affect prices across our economy. That is why this government is focused on delivering practical measures to help everyday Australians with the cost of living. It's why we're strengthening Medicare with more bulk-billing. It's why we're getting more young people into homes. It's why we've introduced stronger consumer protections. It's why we've introduced productivity reforms. And it's why we're delivering more tax cuts to help Australians to keep more of what they earn. Whether it is strengthening supply chains or improving fuel security—reducing unnecessary disruption at times of deep uncertainty—Australians deserve confidence here at home, and that's what this bill delivers.

See this speech in context