Leon Rebello (McPherson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Godden Food, a food wholesaler who operate through my electorate between Sydney and Brisbane with 50 trucks, were told at 3 pm yesterday that they could not access any fuel from their distributor. They state that, as a result, this will lead to an increase in food prices at the supermarket. Prime Minister, when will you take action to ensure the fuel gets to where it needs to get to?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. Earlier today, there were two pieces of legislation before the parliament. One was on the ACCC and increased penalties. The second went directly to the issue of trucking and transport. Indeed, what happened was that the coalition came in here and moved a suspension of standing orders to bring forward the ACCC legislation through all stages to increase penalties. They did that, and in that debate they said, 'We'll support anything to do with the fuel crisis, and it needs to be done today—not delayed, done today.' So the Leader of the House moved an amendment to the motion to ensure that the two pieces of legislation that were before the House both increased penalties for any breach and abuse of price gouging—one would have thought that something that would receive support—and was also directly about trucking, directly about the question that's raised by the member for McPherson.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's completely direct.

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

Order! Look, the Prime Minister was in the middle of talking about the question he was asked, but I'll listen to the manager.

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

It goes to direct relevance. There's a food wholesaler who has 50 trucks that can't get fuel. That's the question.

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

Just to remind the manager: you don't need to explain it all. I know it's the point of relevance. When he was asked about access and the trucks from Sydney to the Gold Coast or the area of the member's electorate and the price impacts on that, and when will the Prime Minister take action, if he's talking about legislation that he's introduced or the government has done, that is action that I think anyone—'when will the Prime Minister take action to ensure fuel gets to where it is?' He's giving information to the House which of course is directly relevant.

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was asked: when will we take action? Today. This morning, we did. What's it got to do with trucking? Well, that's what the legislation was about. You asked that it be brought forward. You then voted against your own suspension of standing orders and then, when the legislation was put before the parliament, you scurried out. You weren't even here to vote to defend the exact circumstances raised by the member for McPherson. Then they have the hide to have the same person who moved the suspension of standing orders write the question and give it to the member for McPherson and say: 'Here, ask this.' Well, I say to the member for McPherson, who's new, that you don't have to read out every question you're given. I say to the member for McPherson: be very wary of what this guy gives you. We had direct legislation to make a difference before the parliament today, and they voted against it.