Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Perhaps one of the most damning facts of all is that the level of consumer confidence in this country is the lowest it's been for 50 years. That really is a damning statistic. One of the fundamental obligations of a federal government is to provide the Australian people with confidence—confidence to employ their fellow Australians, to spend and invest money and to live their lives as they deserve to in our beautiful country—and yet the level of confidence in Australia is at its lowest level in 50 years. We're actually hearing that from everyday Australians, certainly from those in my home state of Queensland.

It's hard for the Australian people to have confidence in the Labor government, because of the mixed messages the Labor government has been giving with respect to the supply of oil during this oil crisis. As the number of petrol stations that were running out of fuel of different types increased, from 600 to 700 to now over 800, we had Minister O'Neil last week—it's hard to believe this—saying that there was more fuel supply in Australia than there was before the crisis. What sort of parallel universe is Minister O'Neil living in? I don't know if she's changed her position. I'm certain she won't be quoted in the Prime Minister's address this evening. I'm sure he won't be quoting Minister O'Neil in that regard.