Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Ghosh. President, as I indicated earlier in the week, the government is supporting fuel wholesalers and retailers to get ACCC approval to coordinate supply and unlock bottlenecks. That measure is not allowed under the normal competitive arrangements, whereby companies are prohibited from that kind of engagement, but it ensures they can work together to supply places all over Australia, from Brisbane to the Bellarine, and ensures that our mechanism of working with industry to identify parts of Australia where there are problems will be effective.

We've doubled penalties for false or misleading conduct and cartel behaviour, and we've given the ACCC more tools, like extending petrol price monitoring powers.