Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Acting Deputy President. This afternoon has caused me grave concerns about the quality of representation in this parliament. We have heard the most bizarre comments. We have heard that there's not a problem, that there's plenty of fuel and that the government is managing it, when there are signs at the Brisbane fuel terminal right now that say, 'Independents, do not enter.' They're the very fuel companies that supply regional northern New South Wales and regional South-East Queensland. These are the places that are seeing ships, the shipping fleet, unable to go out and catch fish, because there are no deliveries of fuel for their boats.

This is the same government that says that there's no problem for farmers who are trying to harvest but can't get fuel for their tractors and headers. This is the same government that says there is not a problem when there are feedlots that cannot get fuel in order to supply food to the cattle and are talking about shooting them. This is the same government that says there is no problem when they are rationing fuel into mining regions right now. This is the same government that says that it wasn't their responsibility to take action last week when it became apparent that there was going to be a problem with supply and that Australians were rushing down to petrol stations to fill up their cars and make sure that they had enough.

Last week, when the resources minister and the infrastructure minister got up and said prices were stable—well, that's not true. Prices are up by at least 60c a litre in parts of Queensland, where I'm from. This is the same government that said, 'Supply's not a problem.' In fact, members of the government are still repeating this rubbish today. They're saying that there's never been more fuel in Australia. Well, that doesn't help the people who can't get it, does it! If it is locked up in places where Australians can't get it, they can't go and get fish, they can't harvest their crops, they're having to shoot their stock and mining companies have to cut back on their workforce and activity. It doesn't matter what lies and fabrications—I'm sorry, Acting Deputy President. I withdraw 'lies'.