Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister, representing the Treasurer. I refer to the Deputy Prime Minister's statement:

Fuel tax is a tax on distance. If ever there was a country that should not aggressively tax fuel, it is a vast country like Australia. It is a tax on doing business outside of the capital cities.

Does the Deputy Prime Minister agree with himself or with the Treasurer on making Australians in rural and regional Australia pay more for their fuel?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The big difference between the way in which this government taxes fuel and the way in which the Labor Party addresses the issue is that this government refunds the excise that is paid by the trucking industry. The trucking industry pays its share of road construction costs through the road user charge, but, when it comes to the tax, the trucking industry receives a rebate in full. The major impact of the fuel tax on regional Australia is of course its impact on the trucking industry. It is a major impact on the cost of living and, obviously, the cost of doing business in regional communities. The reality is that that is fully refunded to the trucking industry.

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. I call the member for Hunter on a point of order, and it had better be one.

Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance—indeed it is, Madam Speaker, because it was clear that I was talking about—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, there is no point of order. The member will resume his seat.

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor's new regional representative, or whatever he is called at the present time, surely has heard of the Diesel Fuel Rebate Scheme. The Diesel Fuel Rebate Scheme is pretty fundamental to regional Australia. That ensures that the cost of trucking to regional committees is fully refunded, and therefore the cost impact on regional communities is managed in that way. That is our approach to this issue.

Mr Snowdon interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Lingiari will withdraw that remark at the end of the question!

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We will continue to treat regional Australia fairly so that the cost of living in regional Australia is not artificially bloated by increasing the cost of transport fuel.