Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Dowling for that question on the topic that is attracting a lot of attention from households right across Australia as they deal with the impacts, as Senator Dowling said, from the conflicts in the Middle East and the consequences they're having on the fuel markets. The Middle East conflict has caused real disruption, and Australians are feeling it at the bowser and beyond. But we, the Albanese government, have worked hard to make sure that we are responding in a timely and coordinated way to deal with the consequences of that conflict. We have passed new laws to double the penalty for petrol companies that engage in price gouging, misleading conduct or cartel behaviour; we've released 20 per cent of Australia's fuel reserves, targeted to ease pressure in regional markets and protect supply for critical users; we've temporarily adjusted petrol and diesel standards; we've engaged with international partners and suppliers to support continued shipments; and, of course, we've established the Fuel Supply Taskforce to drive whole-of-government coordination—and we've provided some financial counselling support for impacted farmers because we know that pressure is hitting there hard.

Yesterday, the government took further action, including cutting the fuel excise by half and reducing the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero for three months. We've also introduced bills to ensure the government can respond quickly to any urgent and unforeseen fuel supply challenges that may arise. National Cabinet, yesterday, agreed to the National Fuel Security Plan, which has four clear areas: the first is 'Plan and prepare'; the second is to keep Australia moving, which is the stage we're currently at; the third stage is 'Taking targeted action'; and the fourth is 'Protecting critical services for all Australians'. So we are looking at how we can support industry, business and households and make sure there's a continued coordinated response across all governments across Australia as we deal with the impacts of the conflict from the Middle East.