Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It's hard to fathom the invective and negativity that are embedded in the contributions in the chamber today by those opposite. Given the real pain people are experiencing when they approach their local to fill up with fuel in the way they normally do and that they are managing their finances to figure out how they can either keep the business going or keep their car on the road—families will be thinking about kids' commitments to sport and rep sports. All of these things are pressing on the minds of Australians. The last thing they need is the carping and negativity that have characterised so much of this debate in this place.

I want to put on the record what actually happened yesterday. Instead of the one-state-against-the-other border ignoring that went on so that people in Albury and Wodonga were fighting across borders, the Australian Labor government has carefully calibrated a response and invited in, at the earliest possible point, all of the leaders from all the states around the country to make sure that we have a well calibrated and well coordinated response. The reality is it was just yesterday when the First Ministers acknowledged that the conflict in the Middle East is a vital part of the ecosystem that is seeing this heightened volatility in global energy markets and the flow-on impacts for our domestic supply chains and prices.

The parliament has just passed a piece of legislation that is going to allow cargos of fuel, in this unbelievably volatile environment, to be able to be underwritten by the government, so we make sure that the supplies that are out there are not disappeared from the market in the way that is against Australian interests. This is a government that's serious—not whingeing and carping, but determined to take the necessary, sensible action to ensure fuel supply. In addition to ensuring that fuel supply and supporting our businesses to continue to do what they do and bring in the fuel that we need in this country, the Prime Minister, in his discussions yesterday with the states, showed great leadership about what needs to happen to assist Australians who are very challenged by this sudden, unpredicted rise in the cost of fuel.

It's not just householders, it's not just farmers and it's not just families or small businesses that are feeling this. It's the providers of the heavy machinery that builds this nation, that's putting all the essential infrastructure in for the housing development that we want and that's building the roads that we need for the productivity gains that this country deserves. The government has got to have a mind to all of those things, and we need to keep afloat the businesses that are building our nation. So it's a very important decision from this government to halve the fuel excise, reducing the cost of fuel by 26.3c per litre. If you've got an average sized car and you put about 65 litres in a tank, that will save $19. And that saving of $19, every time you fill up between 1 April and 30 June, will make a difference to families. It'll also make a difference to businesses.

In addition to that, Australians know, because of our experience with COVID, that keeping our trucks on the road is actually a vital part of making sure our country continues to function until this real challenge of international disorder passes. The heavy vehicle road user charge has been reduced to zero for a period of three months. This is critical to help truckies continue their vital work for our nation.

One of many items of action that the government has undertaken is to provide a plan for what might happen as we move forward—a careful four-stage calibrated plan. Right now, we're making sure the fuel keeps coming in and, with a reduction in the fuel excise, we're making sure Australians aren't hurt at the bowser.