Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This government should be condemned for their ambush on Australian motorists. Yesterday this government moved to increase petrol prices by increasing the fuel excise. This increase in petrol will hit regional Australia particularly hard. Petrol prices in regional Australia are already higher than they are in the metro areas—and why? There is lower population, meaning there are fewer outlets, meaning there is less competition. There are higher costs for transport and storage of fuel and there is less demand for convenience sales, which keep fuel prices low, and the location of outlets—whether they are on a highway or out further—have fewer customers. Quite frankly, people in the country pay more for fuel.

For example, on one Saturday in my electorate the petrol in Woodend was $1.50; the petrol in Kyneton, just up the road was $1.45; and the petrol in Bendigo, where the population is much higher and there is more competition, was $1.35. If you increase the fuel excise, it increases every time petrol increases. So if you have outlets that are charging $1.50 compared to $1.35 for fuel, people are paying more for petrol. They are paying more in excise.

This is this government's plan for the bush. They are simply increasing the cost of petrol and it disproportionately affects the bush. This government should be condemned for ambushing the Australian regional people.