Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Hansard source

I've only got a minute, so I thought I'd run through some key points that Minister Ayres made to the Senate when he was in opposition. On 21 June 2021, Senator Ayres told the Senate:

The government has been warned for years that fuel security is a matter of national importance.

He went on to warn that, in the event of a conflict disrupting supply, 'Our fuel supplies could be severely constrained and we do not have a viable contingency plan in place to provide adequate supplies for Australia's essential, everyday services.'

In the last section of his speech—and I would like Minister Ayres to reflect on it—he pointed out that, in 2018, 'Australia is the only International Energy Agency country which is a net oil importer and solely relies on the commercial stockholding of industry to meet its 90-day stockholding.' He finished that thought with:

What happened in relation to that finding? Absolutely nothing.

I can tell the Australian people that both of the major parties have been dropping the ball for years, and that is why we're in the predicament we are when it comes to our fuel security.