Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Hansard source

The issue of telephone tapping powers I will refer to the minister, Mr Bowen, for consideration. So I will take that on notice. I and the government and, I think, everyone in this chamber will be very well aware of the pressures on family budgets as a consequence of higher petrol prices against the context of the increasing world oil price. I do not have the statistics in front of me at the moment but I do know in general terms that the oil price has been increasing significantly and there are a range of reasons for that. We are very well aware that petrol for travelling to and from work and for recreational use is generally a fixed cost, particularly for people who do not have the alternative of public transport. I am very well aware of that. That is why the responsible minister in this area, Mr Bowen, and the Rudd Labor government intend to pursue the actions I have outlined.