Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. New South Wales premier Chris Minns has just said in the New South Wales parliament in relation to fuel supply:

… demand management procedures are required—that might be rationing … it should be a nationally consistent approach.

Does the minister agree?

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 her question. Perhaps the honourable member didn't take in when I read out the communique from energy ministers—when we agreed to work together on coordination measures over the coming weeks and months. That's why we appointed a supply coordinator to work not just across the federal bureaucracy but across the states to work with industry, because that is the appropriate thing to do.

But this question really goes to the approach of the opposition here—asking constructive questions about fuel supply, making constructive suggestions? No. Fearmongering, disinformation—that's the opposition's approach.

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

Has the minister concluded his answer? 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's on relevance. This question had nothing to do with the opposition. It was about whether there was going to be a nationally consistent approach to fuel rationing. The Australian people want to know an answer.

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

The manager is correct. It was not about the opposition. If the minister has nothing else to add, he'll have to be brief with his remarks. He won't be able to, for the remaining two minutes, talk about the opposition. He wasn't asked about that.

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

I simply say that this government will continue to work constructively with state governments and will continue to work constructively with industry—and it's state governments like the Tasmanian state government, which is working very constructively with this government across the field in this difficult environment because that's what sensible, adult governments do. That's what serious people do. Non-serious people play politics in an international crisis.

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

The Minister for Employment is warned.