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. When were you advised that six shipments of vital fuel supply bound for Australia were cancelled?

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

I refer the honourable member to my previous answer, which was that we have been in constant contact every day, usually more than once a day, with the chief executives of energy companies. They have been telling me that there was uncertainty from mid-April onwards, which is what I've said publicly. And yesterday we went out and confirmed six cancellations or delays—which are not happening now but are scheduled for April—and they largely have been replaced. That is what updating the Australian people factually is about. The alternative is to mislead the Australian people.

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

The Manager of Opposition Business on a point of order?

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

It goes to relevance. You can't ask a simpler question, and we just want a simple answer.

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

Resume your seat. The manager is seeking a date, time and place for when and where something occurred.

Opposition members interjecting—

Order! The member for Barker and the Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting while I deal with this point of order. The manager is seeking a date, place or time—an exact figure or time. I understand where you're coming from. Where I'm coming from is that I can't compel the minister to answer the question as you would like. I'll do my best. He needs to be directly relevant to the question he was asked. Unfortunately, I can't deliver at the moment what you would like, but I'll listen carefully.

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

Perhaps I'll have another go at explaining it to the opposition. These orders were not all cancelled on the same day at the same time. It was an iterative process where some were cancelled. They weren't all cancelled at the same time. It's not like the chief executive rings up and says, 'Hey, we just had six cancelled.' Yesterday I provided a factual summary to the Australian people on the total number that had been cancelled over the recent period. That is what transparency looks like. The alternative is the approach of the Leader of the Opposition, who went to social media on Saturday and said that Australian refineries are exporting diesel and petrol, which is simply untrue. A former energy minister should know better than that.

Honourable members interjecting—

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

The minister has concluded his answer. Order! The House will come to order and the Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

If I give an instruction to cease interjecting, it's not the time to keep interjecting, Leader of the Opposition. We'll wait till the House resets, and we'll hear from the honourable member for Forde.