Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by ministers to questions asked by opposition senators.

Wasn't it very telling today. The Australian people are hurting. The Australian people have been cut off at the knees with this fuel crisis—

Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Stewart?

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'd like the senator to indicate what answers she is taking note of.

Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The senator did indicate that it's all answers to all coalition questions.

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I didn't hear that. Sorry.

Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy President, are we doing four minutes today?

Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's the remainder of your time.

Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There was a change to the procedural—

Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You are correct. Thank you very much, Senator Collins. Times have been changed at the agreement of the whips. I'm just hoping that everyone in the chamber has been informed of this. I'm in the hands of the chamber. I am suggesting that we go through it as in front of me. This has opposition; government; opposition; government; opposition; Australian Greens, five minutes; crossbench, five minutes. This is part of the agreement that came out of a Senate Standing Committee on Procedure inquiry. I think everyone is happy with this. If the two whips are happy, I'm going to proceed. Senator O'Sullivan?

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare and Early Learning) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can you clarify—is it four minutes, or are we going for five? There are five minutes on the clock.

Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's four minutes, opposition; four minutes, government; four minutes, opposition; four minutes, government; four minutes, opposition; five minutes, Australian Greens; five minutes, crossbench. This is what I have in front of me. I'm trying to clarify, for the benefit of the chamber—this, I suspect, is an agreement between the whips based off a procedure committee report and recommendation.

(Quorum formed)

Lisa Darmanin (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have just been informed that the new rule has not been discussed.

Slade Brockman (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm in the hands of the chamber. I will revert to standard procedure, which means you will get five minutes, Senator Collins. We'll reset the clock at five minutes.

Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To confirm, I'm rising to take note of answers to all coalition questions. As I was saying, it was very, very telling today. We, the coalition stood up to ask the government about what they are doing about fuel security, about people in the regions who have no access to fuel right now. Fuel pumps are being closed down, and prices are going up. What we got were personal attacks on coalition members. We got fingers pointing to what we were doing—not last term of government but the term of government before. We got Minister Wong asking us what we would do. But we're not the government; they're the government. It's up to the government to be helping these poor Australians with their fuel security right now, and these people are feeling insecure because they have no access to fuel out in the regions.

My colleague Senator Hume made the point that higher petrol prices are now compounding the pain for families already suffering under Labor's homegrown cost-of-living crisis. We've got higher mortgages, higher electricity bills and higher grocery bills. This all happened long before the conflict in Iran. You cannot put the blame on the conflict in Iran. Senator Hume asked why the government has spent three years fuelling inflation, weakening household budgets and leaving Australians now dangerously exposed to this kind of shock, this fuel shock that is hitting this nation. Senator Hume asked: what is Anthony Albanese, our prime minister, actually going to do to bring prices down? And what did we hear from the government? 'It's not our fault there's price gouging.' There is absolutely no admission of responsibility for putting Australians through this cost-of-living crisis and setting them up to be vulnerable when we are hit with an external shock like this.

We had some terrific questions from my colleague Senator O'Sullivan. He pointed to communities in his home state of Western Australia where fuel is being rationed and pumps are being shut down. We heard from the government, from Minister Wong, that there is no supply problem; it's only a demand problem. She put the blame on ordinary Australian for being scared, and she put the blame on the opposition for scaring ordinary Australian. All we're doing is asking what the government is going to do about this. I think it's a very valid question. How are they going to make sure that this fuel is redistributed to the places that it needs to be?

According to the government, there are no supply issues. We heard from Western Australian roadhouse owner Scott Coppin that there are 10 to 15 cars lining up trying to get fuel and filling up jerry cans every day. He said it was like a scene out of a movie. He'd had never seen it before in his whole life. We heard from the government that this was misinformation and disinformation. But this is the reality for people out in the regions right now: they cannot get access to their fuel, and the government is doing nothing about it.

We heard from Senator McDonald about Mount Gravatt. They've run out of unleaded 91 and unleaded 95 right in the heart of Brisbane. I used to live just down the road from Mount Gravatt—I know exactly where it is—about 10 minutes from Mount Gravatt, at Eight Mile Plains. It is a terrific part of the world.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You should spend more time there.

Jessica Collins (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll take that interjection. I won't, because I'm a senator for New South Wales, and that is the best state in all of this beautiful country of ours. But Mount Gravatt, close to the City of Brisbane, has run out of fuel. This is a problem not just for regional Australia; this is a problem for all of Australia. And what we want to hear from the government is what you're going to do about it. What are you doing about it? There are desperate Australians out there—desperate, worried and afraid—and they want to know. (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Normally, I don't really look forward to doing taking note, but today I'm really enthused, let me tell you. The reason why—and I've just got to explain this very carefully to any poor devil out there listening to this. What is going on in the Middle East is a very serious issue; let's make no mistake about that, and let's hope there's a resolution pretty quickly. But, as someone who has spent a lifetime stuck around diesel fuel pumps, I think we'd better start putting a little bit of truth into the conversation.

I'll go back to a couple of weeks ago. In my duties as a senator for Western Australia, Deputy President, you would know the amount of time that I spend in the Kimberley, and it's huge. I made my living in the Kimberley and Pilbara and in the Northern Territory as a young, very enthusiastic truck driver. There are those opposite who do know, but to the newer ones who don't: shock, horror, I still drive trucks. I still run road trains to the Kimberley, all for charity. In fact, I'll be pulling out on Saturday with three trailers for Broome and Derby. I'll be keeping a close eye when I pull into Port Hedland, where I'll put 1,500 litres into that big banger. That's just in Hedland on the way up. But, if you listened to the contribution from my colleague opposite, who's running the party line, one would think that there is absolutely no fuel in Western Australia—or no fuel in country Western Australia—or in Queensland or in the regions.

But let me come back to going up to the Kimberley two weeks ago, before the war in Iran started. I had my hire car and went into the Reddy, the old Shell express, on Ivanhoe Road. Guess what? Two bowsers were shut—no fuel. There was no war in Iran. Okay, fine. At the other end of the week, I was in Broome. I took the hire car into the BP—you know the BP opposite where you drive into the airport, Mr Deputy President. Guess what? Two bowsers of diesel had no fuel—nothing to do with the war. I'm saying this—it's a very serious issue; I won't speak for your state, whatever your states are—because it's a regular occurrence in Western Australia, where I go regionally and rurally, for bowsers not to have any fuel in them. So let's just get some truth into the argument. I heard my esteemed colleague over there say, 'There's no fuel in the regions. No-one rurally can get fuel.' Seriously? Come on.

Let's have a look at this. For my sins in my previous life, I don't know why but I've had to do two inquiries into fuel security—one in government and one in opposition. I know the arguments around this. One time, and I kid you not—I remember the argument going on when we were in opposition and I was chairing the RRAT committee—the question put to the department of industry was: how much fuel have we got in Australia? They had a guess. They said, 'Twenty-seven days or something like that,' after being told that the IEA says we've go to have 90 days worth. I said, 'Have another crack.' They said, 'We've got no idea, Senator.' And that was fine; they had no idea. But we dug a little bit deeper. I said, 'What are you basing your figures on?' They said, 'It's on fuel that's on ships coming here; we count that.' I said, 'That's great. Anything else?' They said, 'Yes, we also count fuel that we've ordered that hasn't left Japan or Singapore or wherever it may be.' Now, did I get any screaming from the rafters from the mob over there about that? They didn't give a fig. They couldn't give a damn.

What I'm trying to say is our fuel supplies are a very serious issue. From my point of view, because of my trucking background, it's an even greater issue because, when the trucks stop, Australia stops. Make no mistake about that. This mob want to focus on what political point they can make on the way through. So I will state—and I know this is more than when we were doing the inquiry, when I was in opposition—that we have 36 days of petrol. It would be lovely if we had 90 days of petrol. The harsh reality is that we have 36, because we can't have 90, because it would cost us $20 billion, because your lot over there, under Mr Taylor, who is now your esteemed leader, waved off, as part of the government, four refineries here in Australia. Did you know that? We had six refineries in Australia. Following your watch, under him over there, we inherited two. I mean, seriously! We've got 29 days of jet fuel here, with ships on the way. Let's hope there is no disruption to them. We have 32 days of that precious gold that I love, diesel, which they still tell me is running through my veins.

So, seriously, if you're going to have a conversation in the best interests of Australia's trucking industry and our farmers, let's just use some truth, shall we? Let's try not to stretch the bow out as far as we can. Yes, it is serious, but for goodness sake, as the ministers have said, when we have a national drama one would expect we would all work together, not go for the bottom drawer for the lowest common denominator, which is a trait of that mob over there.

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

I first acknowledge Senator Sterle's ongoing efforts to do charity work in the Kimberley region. It's something I greatly admire. However, in terms of his contribution in this debate, Senator Sterle wants to shoot the messenger, as those opposite want to do. We are raising issues with fuel supply in our home states, and I can tell you what is happening in my home state of Queensland. Here is a direct quote from Mr Pavo Walker of Walker Seafoods in Queensland. Walker Seafoods in Queensland is the largest harvester fishery dealing with the capture of wild tuna in my home state of Queensland. They have five vessels, six skippers and over 50 staff, so they're a substantial organisation. They catch and process export-grade tuna. This is what Mr Pavo Walker of Walker Seafoods in Queensland says:

… the Eastern Seaboard of Australia is running out of fuel … noone can guarantee us any fuel for our fishing vessels … We've got no fuel so we can't go to sea and we can't catch fish.

Do you want direct evidence of people running out of fuel? How's that for direct evidence? The chief executive officer of Walker Seafoods in Queensland, who run five vessels, six skippers and over 50 staff, says they do not have the fuel to go out to sea to catch fish. That's the issue, and no-one can tell them when they are going to get the fuel. There is a fuel supply problem. That is what people in my home state of Queensland are telling me.

I'd also like to quote from the Deputy Premier of Queensland. This is what he says about the federal government response, because the Deputy Premier of Queensland is at the front line of trying to deal with all of the tsunami of inquiries that are coming in from the agricultural sector and the fisheries sector into the state government. This is what the Deputy Premier of Queensland says:

Supply of fuel is a federal responsibility and the federal Labor government have not been doing enough.

Further on, he said:

We are absolutely calling on the federal government to explain how much fuel supply is in Queensland, where it's being distributed and guarantee that the bowsers will be full.

That's what the Deputy Premier of Queensland is calling upon the Labor government to do.

It is our obligation to the people of our home states to come into this place and to hold the federal government accountable for its responsibility with respect to fuel supply. We wouldn't be doing our job if we weren't telling the story of Mr Pavo Walker of Walker Seafoods or if my friend Senator Matt O'Sullivan from Western Australia weren't telling the story of the owner of the roadhouse which has run out of fuel in regional Western Australia. It's our obligation to hold the government to account. It's our obligation to convey to the government what is happening on the ground, and this is happening on the ground.

So don't come into this place and tell us that we're the ones spreading misinformation. How absurd! Pick up the phone, if you like, and ring Mr Pavo Walker of Walker Seafoods and have the conversation with him. Tell him about misinformation. He has five trawlers, all in dock waiting for fuel. He can't take them to sea. He has six skippers and 50 staff, all ready, willing and able to actually generate wealth for this country, but they can't get the fuel. There is a major problem at the moment. It is demonstrated, indicated and evidenced by the facts, so don't come into this place and shoot the messenger. Actually focus on doing your job, and your job is to manage the fuel supply in this country. If you have the fuel stocks that Senator Sterle referred to, why are we having these problems? Why are we having these problems in regional Queensland? When the conflict broke out in the Middle East and when the Strait of Hormuz was closed, you should have anticipated that there would be a change in the pattern of demand, as the leader of the Senate referred to. Of course there was going to be a change in the pattern of demand. It always happens when you have fuel shortages and conflicts in relation to major fuel-supplying countries—when the price goes through the roof. You should have anticipated that, and you should now be held accountable for failing to manage it. (Time expired)

Jana Stewart (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, for one, certainly welcome a sensible and responsible conversation about fuel in this country. No-one on the side is blaming Australians for that. We are certainly not saying that the stories that we've heard today or the stories of people out in the community are not true. What we are saying in this place is that people's response to the war in Iran is being directly driven by the words of people in this place. That is what we are saying—that we all have a responsibility to remove fear and anxiety from the community, when it comes to how we manage a national crisis.

Those opposite see a national crisis, and they rub their hands together. They can't wait to stoke further fear and anxiety in the Australian community and to make you worry about a fuel supply that has remained the same. Supply that's coming into this country through Hormuz is the same. There has been no change to the fuel that's coming into this country. That is not what you would think after listening to the questions that they asked—at all!

Instead, what we have seen today is an irresponsible so-called party of government—the alternative government over there—driving fear and anxiety in the Australian community about the state of fuel in this country. What we have seen, as a result, is people stockpiling fuel because of the words that are coming out of your mouth. That's exactly what is happening here. Each of us have a responsibility, when we have the platform in this place, to speak and lead in a way that actually gives some sense of information about what's happening, and not to drive fear in the community for things that actually aren't happening. While the alternative government over there is acting like a crossbench instead of an alternative party of government, on this side, we will act like the party of government and lead with responsibility.

What's happening around the country, when it comes to fuel demands and the cost of fuel, is not separate from the work that we have been doing since we came to government. That is trying to ease the cost-of-living pressures that Australians are experiencing all the time, and, now, fuel is adding to the pressure that people are feeling on their hip pocket. We are absolutely getting on with delivering cost-of-living relief for Australians as our No. 1 priority—we've done that since the day we came to government—whether that means strengthening Medicare or whether it's delivering tax cuts for every single taxpayer and certainly making it fairer for women. On this side, we secured pay rises for minimum- and award-wage workers, totalling an increase of more than $9,000 for minimum- and award-wage workers.

What you see over here, in this little corner over here, is Pauline Hanson cozying up to Gina Rinehart, who has openly argued for cutting Australia's minimum wage and even talked about $2-an-hour pay day as a benchmark. That's who One Nation over there, the so-called party of the battlers, is cosying up with. They're very happy to vote against workers' rights, supporting their mate Gina. On this side we've expanded paid parental leave to 24 weeks for families and, for the first time, we are paying superannuation on paid government parental leave. We're supporting tradies with a $10,000 bonus for housing apprentices, and we're cutting household power bills permanently with 30 per cent off home batteries. We've introduced paid placements for nursing, teaching and social work and midwifery students, because no student should be forced to choose between finishing their degree and paying their bills—or, even worse, not taking up that degree in the first place because they can't afford it. While on the side we are getting on with delivering cost-of-living relief for Australians— (Time expired)

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare and Early Learning) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy President Brockman, you know better than anyone else here in this chamber what it means for rural and regional Australians to not have an adequate, reliable supply of fuel. In Western Australia we're coming close to seeding time, and farmers need to have confidence that when the rains come they can get out immediately; they've got to get out and sow their crops for, hopefully, a very good season. But right now we've got farmers across Western Australia doubtful about their capacity and ability to do that because they're not getting fuel delivered to them.

I asked a question during question time in relation to the fuel supply going into roadhouses. We've seen examples of roadhouses across Western Australia and fuel stations in regional Western Australia that don't have an adequate supply of fuel and, therefore, have had to either ration or close. This is unacceptable. We asked this question in question time, and the response I got back from Senator Wong was that we were peddling misinformation and dealing with misinformation. Tell that to the ABC, because it was the ABC that reported Mr Coppin's words. It wasn't just me parroting in question time a rumour I'd heard; it was Mr Coppin's response to an ABC journalist that was printed on the ABC website:

At any time, probably 10 to 15 minimum cars … lined up trying to get fuel and filling up jerry cans.

I was told that that was misinformation.

What's the government doing here? It's trying to blame motorists or the opposition for peddling misinformation or fearmongering. The reality is that motorists are fronting up to fuel stations across Australia, not just in regional Australia; we heard Senator Collins tell the story of the roadhouse that was part of the question from Senator McDonald—the roadhouse in Mount Gravatt, in inner-city Brisbane—that didn't have fuel. Fuel stations run out from time to time; we know that, and we've all experienced that. But when we're seeing it at the scale that's happening right now across the country, we know we've got a problem.

The problem with the answers given by the government, whether it was Minister Wong or Minister Ayres, is that they seem to suggest that the supply chain responsibility of this government ends at the port, at the distribution centre, and that there isn't a supply chain necessary to get fuel where it's needed. When you talk to a farmer or a motorist, when they think about supply chains they think about the supplier that brings it to their demand, which is their vehicle, tractor, harvester or feeder. It's not just at the port.

We keep hearing, 'You didn't do anything about it in government.' This is absolute rubbish. Of course we did something about it. When we were last in government, the coalition implemented a comprehensive fuel security package which included the establishment of a domestic fuel reserve through the minimum stockholding obligation—which safeguarded key transport stocks at a base level—delivered support to ensure Australia's long-term refining capabilities through the fuel security services payment and established a diesel storage program. As part of that, in layman terms, the minister has the capacity to get real-time access to fuel storage across Australia and the network. He has the capacity to direct wholesalers as to where they should transport fuel to ensure that there is an adequate supply of fuel. So the government can actually do something about it.

The minister is saying that every ship that has been ordered has been arriving, and that might well be true. But what seems to be happening is suppliers are hoarding or holding it and are not releasing it for distribution. The minister has the power to direct those companies to get that fuel out across the supply chain and right onto farms, into roadhouses and across Australia, but they're not acting. The problem is the minister and the government as a whole are believing their own nonsense. They keep blaming everyone else, and that means they're not taking the action that Australians need and deserve.

If we don't sort this out, this country could literally grind to a halt. You might say that's scaremongering, but why don't you take action? Then there won't be that problem.

Question agreed to.