Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Treasurer. How does $21 million to establish FuelWatch and $11 million to fund the new Petrol Commissioner deliver lower petrol prices when all evidence today is that Perth’s FuelWatch is delivering the highest petrol prices in Australia? Why has the Treasurer failed to take any decisive action to deal with rising fuel prices?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to answer that question. The government is doing what we said we would do. We said we would put a Petrol Commissioner into the ACCC to make sure we had a competitive market out there and to make sure that people who were buying petrol were not being ripped off at the bowser. This FuelWatch scheme, which will be coming into operation through the year, will be a very important measure to give consumers access to information so that they can access cheaper prices. I simply cannot understand why the opposition would oppose it.