Tyron Whitten (WA, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Hansard source

One Nation was the first party to call this fuel shortage a crisis. We were the first to call it to the attention of this parliament. That was three weeks ago. We asked how much fuel we had on hand, and we were all told that there wasn't a problem, just right-wing extremism and Aussies buying too much fuel. Now today we now have the Treasury Laws Amendment (Doubling Penalties for ACCC Enforcement) Bill 2026 being rushed forward through our parliament because the Albanese government is panicking. We have a big crisis. Minister Chris Bowen must declare a national fuel emergency and force supply to the regions. One Nation is investigating alternative fuel supplies.

Our policy will cut fuel excise. Our policy will cut the GST paid on fuel. The Albanese government is profiting $300 million a month from the souring spike in fuel prices, while Australians are struggling. As the pain at the pump increases so too does the government's GST take on every litre. The government is taking 52.6c from every litre in excise tax and then applying a 10 per cent GST on top of the total sale. It's an absolute disgrace. We've seen the price of diesel double over the last few weeks, and that's if you can get it. The offences that this bill amends is to increase penalties that—guess what?—no-one has ever been charged under, not once. Zero multiplied by double is still zero. This bill won't do anything to crack down on the supply manipulation by big oil companies.

That's why One Nation has called for the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act to be triggered—so that supply can be forced out into the regions, bringing down prices for everyone. Over 500 service stations across Australia have run out of fuel. In my home state of WA, the Shire President of Esperance has revealed that fuel arriving in the town port is trucked 1,400 kilometres in tankers all the way to Perth before it comes all the way back to Esperance so that it can be available at the local service stations.

Our farmers are hurting. Our farmers are seeding soon, and putting a crop in at a much greater cost is a potential double hit, if farmers can't put enough fertiliser in at seeding due to unavailability and cost. If our farmers aren't getting the fuel and support they need, where is our food going to come from? Australia has got to have a plan. One Nation's plan is clear: trigger the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984, force supply to be delivered to regional areas and independent distributors, prioritise defence and essential services, drop the fuel excise for three months or the GST on fuel to reduce cost pressure. GST tax relief on fuel for three months is $300 million per month. Develop policies that allow Australia to find, process and distribute fuel—and net zero. Refine our own fuel and build more refineries. Consider a national reserve with crude oil companies to prioritise supply to Australia. The needs of Australia must be catered to first. Increase our fuel storage capacity. Strategic storage must be controlled by Australia on Australian shores. And remove the impediments to using domestically produced fuel.

I see that the Greens have tacked on an amendment to this bill on price gouging. One Nation spoke on this extensively previously, but I'll just state again for the record that the government already has the powers to act on market manipulation by supermarkets—and it should use these powers. The Greens' amendment is vaguely worded and unworkable, and One Nation will not support it.

One Nation will abolish net zero and stop the billions in subsidies that Australians are paying for wind turbines. This will not only reduce power bills and rescue families and businesses but it will put about $30 billion back into the pockets of Australians by abolishing the department of climate change. This will resolve many of the issues businesses are facing by trying to meet the net zero safeguard mechanism targets. One Nation has been saying that we need to be self-reliant—that Australia must stand on our own two feet—for decades. We need to regain our sovereignty. We must take control of our country back. One Nation has a plan, the Greens have outrage and the Labor government have no plan.