Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to move a motion relating to the need for the Albanese Labor government to provide urgent relief to Australians facing surging fuel prices, as circulated.

Leave not granted.

Pursuant to contingent notice standing in my name, I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent me moving a motion to provide for the consideration of a matter, namely a motion to give precedence to a motion relating to the need for the Albanese Labor government to provide urgent relief to Australians facing surging fuel prices.

Quite frankly, I don't know how much more urgent it can actually get before the Albanese government sits up, takes notice, admits to the Australian people that we are in the middle of a fuel crisis of their own making and, more than that, acknowledges what Australians are now experiencing on a daily basis. They are pulling up at the bowser, and guess what? If they can get fuel, they are now paying exorbitant prices in excess of $3 a litre. Many are pulling up at the bowser, only to find that the servo has actually run out of fuel. You've got small businesses saying, 'We can't open our doors because of the fuel cost.' You've also got the restaurant industry now saying to its own restaurants, 'You need to impose a five per cent levy on your customers so that you can keep your doors open.' You've got the Easter break coming up, and what do we have? Caravan park after caravan park after holiday park saying, 'We have had cancellation after cancellation.' Guess what? Once you lose those bookings, you do not get them back.

What does the Albanese government do? It continues to say: 'We're having a meeting. We know that Australians are feeling pain, yes, but I have to say,' to quote Senator Ayres, 'it's nothing more than right-wing extremist scaremongering.' Say that to the Australian who is literally now having to make the decision and say: 'Do I go to work today? No, I can't. Not because I don't want to, but because I can't afford the fuel.' Say that to the small business who has to say: 'You know we're going to lay off staff today. Do you know why? Because my overheads have now increased.' What about what the waste management industry across Australia said? They made it very, very clear to the Albanese government: 'Guess what! We're actually important. If the bins don't get emptied, do you know what happens within 48 hours across the aged-care industry and our healthcare industry? Disease runs rampant.' They actually said, 'This is potentially catastrophic.' Do you know what we called on the Albanese government to do last week on behalf of the waste management industry? We asked for them to be placed immediately on the fuel priority list. Guess what? Crickets, yet again. But the good news is that the Albanese government is having a meeting!

This is a suspension motion. There is a reason that we have moved this motion this morning. It's because this motion should take precedence over all other government business. Why? Because we are in the middle of a fuel crisis. For five weeks now, the Albanese government has had its head in the sand. They have failed to recognise what Australians see when they go to that bowser. Australians look at the price and wonder, 'Can I even afford to fill up, given that the next place I'm going to is the shop and my groceries are now more expensive?' I don't think that the Albanese government understands. The crisis itself is now threatening fuel security, and do you know what happens when fuel security in Australia is threatened? The consequences spread quickly.

This is a government that hasn't just been on the back foot since day one; it has actively had its head in the sand. It's not just the motorists who feel it. It's not just the freight operators. It's the essential services. Rubbish collection is actually important. In particular, you have the health industry and the aged-care industry saying: 'If our rubbish is not collected, this is catastrophic. It takes about 48 hours for germs, disease et cetera to spread through our industry.' That affects people's health. What about the NDIS operators at the moment? They are saying: 'I don't have the money to fuel my car. Do you know what happens if I don't have the money to fuel my car? I cannot go to work.' And do you know what not going to work means? It means that the NDIS recipient, the patient, is not getting the level of care that they need.

We have said to the Prime Minister, 'We will work with you as the opposition.' Bring in the legislation today. In fact, you can do it as soon as we suspend the standing orders. You can axe the fuel tax and give motorists, mum-and-dad Australia but also businesses the relief they need now at the bowser. But more than that, you keep on telling us, 'The supply is in Australia.' Get the fuel moving to where it needs to be. Axe the tax. Move the fuel.