Jamie Chaffey (Parkes, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today Australia finds itself in a very disturbing situation of dual stress: limited fuel availability and extremely high prices. Australians are suffering every time they go to the bowser, and it feels like the final straw. Our farmers are already at the mercy of so many things that are out of their control: inflation, rate rises, power costs, water legislation, taxes and ultimately the unknown of weather. They can't plant, they can't harvest, they can't fertilise, they can't transport and they can't run their businesses. I'm receiving calls from small transport operators who are facing cost rises of $1,500 a day.

So it was a huge relief yesterday when the Prime Minister agreed to cut the fuel excise in half, by 26c a litre, as we've been begging the Labor government to do. We have been begging because that's what our constituents are now reduced to doing. They are desperate. Now the Albanese government has listened, it's time to work together to address the future risks and the pain to all Australians. Our country runs on fuel; our regions run on diesel. It is my hope we can in this place work together with timely responses that will protect all Australians as this crisis continues to develop, to ease household pressure, to keep the wheels turning on our businesses and to keep Australians employed. Australia is a great nation with abundant resources. Let's make sure we use them for our survival.