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

Australians, including states and territories, have been pleading for leadership, and today we've finally seen some, albeit four weeks into a crisis. I welcome the announcement of a national security plan around fuel. This is serious and it's necessary. But this government has a track record of big announcements and weak delivery, so I'm going to review that plan's details very carefully.

We also welcome the reduction in fuel excise and road user charges. That relief is needed now, particularly as Easter is just around the corner. But it shouldn't have taken the opposition to do the heavy lifting on this. The Prime Minister should have led. He should have taken action before now. If the Prime Minister thinks the people of Australia believe that it was his idea all along, I just want to read a text message I received from a transport operator this morning: 'Hi Tony. Thank you for the help putting pressure on the government. The latest announcement is no doubt a result of that pressure.' Aussies get it. Aussies get that, when there is a lack of leadership from the Prime Minister or the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, it's the opposition that has taken the lead. It's disappointing that this prime minister has had to follow, but at least we have dragged him to the point that he needed to get to four weeks ago.