Tom Venning (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. I refer to his previous answer and what he said about fuel supply flowing to Kwinana. Kylie, from Cataby, runs an earth-moving business and emailed me saying: 'My fuel supplier, FueleX, has informed me that they are blocked from accessing fuel out of Kwinana and cannot tell me when they will get more.' Minister, can you advise how long will Kylie be waiting until to get fuel?

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

I did refer to fuel being delivered to Kwinana because there has been. But the honourable member raises a question on behalf of a business. If the honourable member wants to provide me with the details of that, I will make inquiries on behalf of that business, see what can be arranged for that business and check the situation with her fuel supplier. Honourable members should know I invited honourable members opposite to come and see me yesterday with any issues they wanted to discuss. One did. I welcomed their visit, and we had a good, confidential discussion about the issues, and I'm happy to do that with any honourable member. One member visited me to discuss the issues in their region, and I very much welcomed their visit. Any honourable member is welcome to raise issues with me in good faith, and they will be dealt with in good faith.

We'll continue to work with the industry.

Opposition Member:

An opposition member interjecting

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

The honourable member has asked what's going on. I refer honourable members to a statement by the Australian Institute of Petroleum just before question time, which said:

Over the last week, AIP member companies have been hit by a sudden rush to buy fuel. In some cases, suppliers have seen bulk fuel customers buying four times their usual volume of fuel. The rush to buy fuel has been unprecedented, outstripping the surge seen at the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2022.

They're just the facts. But what we'll continue to do is work with all the necessary parties across the board. We yesterday held a roundtable for relevant senior ministers with the key groups, including the National Farmers' Federation, the National Farmers' Federation, who very genuinely represent the interests of farmers. The President of the National Farmers' Federation, Hamish McIntyre, has said there's been an increased demand by around 40 per cent right across the nation. 'The stock of fuel is still flowing. We're comfortable with that. As Minister Bowen has advised us, we just have to slow down demand across Australia.' He went on to say, I feel obliged to tell the House, 'It's great to see that the minister's taken this initiative with all the sectors involved right across the transport industry. We're working together to make sure there's a fair and even distribution of it.'

An opposition member interjecting—

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

The minister is reading a quote. He is being directly relevant. This is highly risky for the manager—on a point of order?

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

Relevance, Speaker—

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

Resume your seat. You can't use that standing order simply to interrupt. The minister was reading a quote in response to a question he was asked.

Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister Assisting for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Quotation time, not question time.

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

Order! That is highly disorderly. The minister will be heard in silence.

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

We're quoting the National Farmers' Federation and the work we're doing for people represented by the honourable member and people right across rural Australia, because that's the approach this government takes. Dealing with a difficult situation, dealing with an international crisis and dealing with a huge spike in demand, we are working together across the sectors to take whatever action is necessary. That's what we'll continue to do. If those opposite choose to use an international crisis as a political opportunity, it says more about them than us.