Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Industry is required under current laws to provide the Department of Climate Change and Energy with detailed weekly updates on fuel stock levels across the country. Can the minister advise the House of where there are fuel supply shortages in Australia?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. It is true that in rural and regional Australia people are finding it difficult to get diesel, in particular, and there are many instances of that. It's a very serious matter, and it should be dealt with—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. I don't know why the member for Fisher thinks he's the only person who can be continually interjecting non-stop.

Well, you definitely will now be leaving the chamber—when I'm addressing the House. I thought that as a former Speaker you would be appreciative of not interrupting so rudely when the Speaker is addressing the House. The minister was asked a question. The manager was heard in silence. The same courtesy is going to be shown to the minister as well.

The member for Fisher then left the chamber.

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I was saying, there are real pressures in rural and regional Australia in particular. For example, the minister for agriculture, the minister for transport and the minister for industry and I just convened a very important meeting with key stakeholders. The head of the service stations agency informed us that they have seen demand increase in Mildura, for example, by 100 per cent at their service stations and in the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa by 280 per cent. I think most reasonable people would understand that that puts pressure on supply chains. When demand goes up so much, it puts huge pressure on supply chains. But it can also be the case—and it is also the case—that, fundamentally, Australia's fuel security is good because of the minimum stock obligations that we have put in place. I can report to the House that petrol, diesel and jet fuel have continued to be received in Australia, as we would expect, in recent days and that the industry expects that to continue for the foreseeable future.

None of that is to say that there aren't, as we have all said, real risks in the supply chain, with a crisis in the Middle East at the moment, into the future. That's why we've taken the action we have. That's why the National Oil Supplies Emergency Committee, which I'm advised met once during the Ukraine crisis, has met three times in the last week at the instigation of this government. It is incumbent on all of us to be aware of the facts and to convey the facts. The Prime Minister paid tribute to the leader of the Nationals, and I agree. He has said that there is no case for panic buying because panic buying makes the situation worse.

I do need to tell the House that that is not the case for everyone. I regret to inform the House that, in just the last little period, the Deputy Premier of Queensland has intervened in the debate in an irresponsible, dishonest fashion, for which he should be ashamed. He said, 'I've seen Chris Bowen get up in the last couple of days and go, "Well, we've got enough supply to last 30 days". Well, that was nine days ago. You know, we are now 10 or 11 days into that 32-day supply.' Either he doesn't understand how the law works or he has deliberately misled Australians and engaged in encouraging panic buying, because the minimum stockholding obligation, by law, cannot be accessed until I, as the energy minister, agree it should be. Either the Deputy Premier of Queensland doesn't know that and didn't bother to find out or he just chose to play politics. This is an international crisis, not an economic opportunity or a political opportunity.

We will continue to work, as we have done over recent days and since the Iran crisis began, with the industry. We will engage in full, with information, with the Australian people. We will not, like the Deputy Premier of Queensland, engage in irresponsible, dishonest tactics.