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

My question is for the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. Global energy markets have been disrupted by the war in the Middle East. The export of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz has largely stopped. Iran has attacked energy infrastructure across the region, and energy producers are shutting down production. Can the minister please provide an update on energy and supply chain pressures. Can the minister also outline the Albanese Labor government's actions thus far to protect the Australian economy and Australian households.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Sterle. It's good to have a question from someone with practical experience, particularly of diesel supplies in Western Australia, rather than the besuited fake political questions that came earlier on. The minimum stockholding guarantees a baseline level of domestic fuel stocks. This is held onshore in Australia or within our exclusive economic zone.

That is a very different approach to the approach taken by the previous government, where the stockholding, to the extent that it existed at all, was—like Waco, one of that team's favourite late-night documentaries—held in Texas. That was Mr Taylor's approach—to hold it in Texas.

Our current stocks have not materially changed since the commencement of the conflict: 36 days of petrol, equivalent to about 1.56 billion litres of petrol; 29 days, or 802 million litres, of jet fuel; and 32 days, or about 2.97 billion litres, of diesel. What the industry told Minister Bowen, the minister for agriculture, the minister for transport and me today is that there has been no real change in the stockholdings and the supply that Australia has. There have been some changes in some areas that relate to demand behaviour— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, first supplementary?

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

Resilient domestic energy markets and supply chains are crucial for protecting households and the economy from international shocks. Minister, what action has the Albanese Labor government taken to build energy and supply-chain resilience? Is Australia more resilient to international shocks than it has been in the past?

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order across the chamber! Senators Green and McKenzie, come to order, both of you! If you can't listen in silence, leave the chamber. Minister Ayres.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia is much more resilient in fuel security terms that it was when the Albanese government was first elected, in 2022. We have introduced and implemented the minimum stockpile obligation so that Australia can withstand energy shocks. We are bringing in a gas market reservation to make sure that Australian gas is there for Australian users, and during the Ukraine crisis we acted against the opposition of those opposite, who only know how to oppose.

Contrast this with Mr Taylor's record, who ignored advice to bring in a minimum stockholding obligation, who said—

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We legislated it.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You legislated it, but you didn't do it. You sat on your hands and delivered nothing. You sent our fuel reserves to Texas and voted against coal and gas price caps, and you led a party that saw four out of six petrol refineries close.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, second supplementary?

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

During times of global turmoil, Australians looks to their political leaders to protect the national interest and for clear and calm guidance. Why is it important to provide this leadership and advice?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, the Liberals, the Nationals and One Nation have disgraced themselves over the last two weeks. When Australians look to this place for calm, resolute leadership, what they see on one-half of the chamber is a desperate ploy for partisan advantage every time there is a national challenge. What Australians want to see when there is a national change is political leaders acting in the national interest.

There's a bit of a cycle here. A national challenge emerges. It is greeted by Mr Taylor and his friends with outrage, anger, division and misinformation. It moves on, and the stocks of the Liberals and the Nationals get lower. Then we meet the next national challenge; there is anger, outrage, misinformation and disinformation, and they sink lower still. (Time expired)

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. Last night the Shell service station at Upper Mount Gravatt in Brisbane ran out of Unleaded 91 and Unleaded 95. Minister, isn't that clear evidence of a fuel supply problem?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It certainly isn't. As I indicated in my answer before, it is important for these matters to be asserted calmly and with a basic level of information: Thirty-six days of petrol—that has not changed since the beginning of the war. That's 1.56 billion litres of petrol. In relation to jet fuel, 29 days worth of jet fuel—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We'll get to Mount Gravatt—don't you worry about that.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Ayres, please resume your seat. I'm just waiting for silence. Senator McDonald?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance, the answer is going nowhere near my very tightly worded question.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McDonald. The minister is being relevant to the question.

Opposition senators interjecting—

It is incredibly disrespectful. I just had Senator McDonald on her feet, calling a point of order. She was short and succinct and to the point, which many of you are not. As I was answering the point of order, Senator McKenzie and others chose to then just start shouting across the chamber. That is rude and disrespectful to me and this Senate. Senator McDonald, I will listen carefully, and, if the minister is not being relevant to your question, I will call him to your question.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand why members of the coalition and One Nation find the assertion of the facts so offensive in this environment.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We just asserted the facts to you. They ran out of fuel.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's enough from you, I reckon. Thirty-two days—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ayres!

Opposition senators interjecting—

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thirty-two days of diesel—honestly, it just goes on and on!

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! That response was absolutely out of order.

Opposition senators interjecting—

I have not finished. I've only just started. That response was out of order, absolutely out of order—shouting so loudly that you could not hear me try to bring the Senate to order. Senator Ayres, you will withdraw that comment.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I absolutely will.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And there will be silence for the rest of question time. Senator Ayres, please continue.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is, as I was trying to indicate, 32 days of diesel supply left in Australia—2.97 billion litres of diesel. Now, those amounts have not fundamentally changed since the conflict in Iran began.

What has changed, Senator Canavan—if you are going to join the yelling over there—is that there has been some consumer behaviour that has changed. Some consumers are purchasing, as reported to me in the meeting that was held recently, four to five times the amount of diesel or the amount of petrol. Why would people be engaging in that kind of conduct?

Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because they don't trust you. It's a failure of your leadership.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Because there are people over there—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Ayres, please resume your seat. I asked for silence. Minister Ayres, please continue.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All of us have a responsibility here to conduct ourselves in the national interest—to report the facts accurately. Sure, hold the government to account, but do it responsibly. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, first supplementary?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week, the resources minister claimed fuel prices were holding steady. That claim has collapsed. Prices have surged to 219.9c a litre, and petrol stations are running dry. This morning, the Minister for Climate Change and Energy warned against panic buying. Minister, isn't this just a government that cannot manage fuel disruption and is now trying to pin the blame on ordinary Australians?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What's required when there is a national challenge, like a war in the Middle East, is calm, resolute, effective leadership—not running around on social media trying to amplify problems and spread misinformation, which is what some of you have done.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Your ministers are in denial. They're saying prices haven't gone up.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senator McKenzie, I'm not quite sure which part of 'order' you think doesn't apply to you, but it does.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I suppose the thing that outrages those of us on this side is that those of you who did so little when you were in government—Senator Canavan behaves as if he wasn't there. He was the Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, but, like the mouse that roared, did nothing—

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is so off topic. People are desperate for an answer, and the minister won't address it.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, you can't just stand. You need to indicate if there is a point of order.

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a point of order on relevance.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you. I will draw the minister to your question.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The job here is to assert the facts calmly. We have done that. It is to work with industry, with farmers, with the fertiliser sector and with the fuel industry—we are doing that, and we will continue to do it in the national interest. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, second supplementary?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party, Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, isn't it the truth that prices are rising and pumps are running dry and, instead of admitting there's a problem, the government is lecturing motorists for trying to protect their families and their businesses?

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That question did come dangerously close, I have to say, to encouraging people to go and panic-buy. It came dangerously close to that.

An opposition senator: What is going on here?

What is going on here is a group of Liberals, Nationals and One Nation who have not internalised the lessons of the last 3½ years. Every time you try and drive division, Australians walk away from you. Every time you hyperventilate with partisan division, Australians walk away from you, and you get smaller and less relevant and less effective and more hateful and more angry—

Opposition senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senators on my left, it is not your job to try and out-shout the minister.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The question for you is when will you start listening to Australians and, in particular, the Australians who used to support you? When will you start behaving as if you are seeking the mantle of national leadership instead of being fringe right-wing extremist rabble?

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister.

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

President, I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.