Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

My thoughts are with Mr Boss and his management of his medical condition. It's a very difficult situation for him and for his family. I hope that the announcements that we have made today in relation to fuel excise and diesel excise will be of assistance to Mr Boss. I was trying to say in response to one of your colleagues that the cabinet did have the impact of elevated fuel prices on rural and regional Australia very front of mind, because, as you correctly point out, there are issues of price and supply. Fuel prices are elevated as a consequence of the impact on global energy markets.

What I'd also say in terms of supply is that we have done a number of things. Firstly, the government has begun releasing 20 per cent of the minimum stockholding obligations with a focus on regional Australia because of the supply issues that you identify. Secondly, we announced on Saturday that the EFA is underwriting the obtaining of additional supply. Finally, we will work with states, territories and also the distributors to try and deal with the distribution problems, which we absolutely understand are affecting Australians, particularly in regions.