Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I will see what information I can provide in terms of the availability of the report and make sure that information is drawn to your attention. I think that the suggestion that the government should go around bullying the oil companies is fatuous and ridiculous. The oil companies are cooperating with us. The oil companies in this country should not receive the castigation of this parliament. The oil companies in this country do provide a great service to Australians. While Australians do not like high oil prices, they are experiencing the fourth lowest petrol prices in the developed world. We have a highly competitive retail industry in petrol, and we do have alternatives available in biodiesel, ethanol, LPG and other things. The main thing is to allow the government to work and not to go around bullying the oil companies, as the Democrats would suggest.