Angie Bell (Moncrieff, Liberal National Party, Shadow Minister for Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australians have been under enormous pressure every time they pull up to the bowser, and, after months of delay, the Prime Minister has finally acted to halve the fuel tax. But—let's be clear—this announcement, while welcome, has come far too late and has only done half the job, because cutting the tax means very little if Australians can't access affordable fuel in the first place. Right now, the real concern is supply. Families, tradies and small businesses don't just need cheaper fuel; they need certainty that, when they turn up to the servo, the fuel will actually be there. This is where the government is still falling short.

There has been no clear plan to ensure fuel supply or to ensure that supply gets where it needs to go, Prime Minister. This government has shown no urgency in strengthening fuel security and no leadership to address the pressures in distribution that are already being felt in communities. When supply is tight, prices rise, and that means any benefit from a tax cut can, and will, quickly disappear. Australians deserve more than a headline announcement. They deserve a government that understands the reality. This is not just about price. It's about access, it's about reliability and it's about leadership, Prime Minister. Australians deserve better.

Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The world is in a state of flux, and, while we can't change what's happening in the Middle East, we can impact how it hurts Australian households and how we help them. I've just gotten back from farewelling a friend out west, and I was talking to farmers, truckies, business owners and workers. I heard 'fertiliser' and 'fuel' in many conversations. Everyday costs are rising and hurting people at the pump. That is why this Albanese government is acting. We are halving the fuel excise—cutting 26.3c per litre—and we are doing that from 1 April. It is practical relief. We're doing it in partnership with the states. I want to thank the states. I want to thank the Prime Minister, the Treasurer and the cabinet for taking this action.

We haven't forgotten our truckies. Our heavy vehicle industry is under real strain. These are the people who keep the shelves stocked and our economy moving. In my own electorate, we've got businesses like Hills Tankers, a small, family-run business that is supplying fuel to all the coal mines in the Hunter and keeping them going. They're doing it tough, but they're showing up day in, day out. Who is this for? This is for people in Australia who are under strain. For the next three months we'll reduce the heavy road user charge to zero. We'll keep backing those people who keep us moving. We're going to ease pressure on households. We hear you, we see you and we are delivering.

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

(—) (): Australians are hurting. They don't know whether they're going to get the fuel that they need. They look at the petrol pump every time they go to fill their cars up and the price is extraordinary. It's causing them an enormous amount of pain, and what they want to see is leadership. The Prime Minister has not been leading. The first thing the Prime Minister should do today is get to that dispatch box and apologise to the Australian people for his failure of leadership. We haven't seen a failure of leadership like this since December. That's twice now, in a national emergency— (Time expired)

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

In accordance with standing order 43, the time for members' statements has now concluded.