Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Ayres. The government says fuel stocks remain strong and has dismissed Australians' concerns as—in your words yesterday in this chamber—'misinformation', yet Andrew Brown, the owner of a petrol station in the New England region, said he has enforced a fuel limit to ensure adequate fuel supply for the residents and to have supply left over for emergencies, stating—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

Senator Nampijinpa Price, I'm sorry. I can't hear the question. There needs to be silence. Could you start the question again. I'm very sorry.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very happy to. The government says fuel stocks remain strong and has dismissed Australians' concerns as 'misinformation', yet Andrew Brown, the owner of a petrol station in the New England region, said he has enforced a fuel limit to ensure adequate fuel supply for the residents and to have supply left over for emergencies, stating:

We could have lifted our prices and been out of fuel in five days but instead we are trying to ration it for up to 15 days.

Minister, if there is no fuel supply problem, why are regional Australians being left without fuel—or is this what the government now calls misinformation?

Not that you care, Minister Watt.

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

Thank you, Senator Nampijinpa Price. Order! Before I call Minister Ayres, I'm going to remind those on my right that senators have the right to have their questions asked in silence. The fact I had to ask the senator to repeat her question is not okay.

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

():  Well, I'm very pleased to see, Senator Nampijinpa Price, your first question, I think, since the election. I would say, as somebody who grew up in New England, that I'd be interested to know which town this person comes from. That context might not be available to you yet, but I would be interested in it. If this person that you claim exists exists, I would be interested to talk to them. I'd be interested to know which town they come from.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Minister Ayres, resume your seat. Order on my left! I believe it was you, Senator Ruston. You need to withdraw.

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I withdraw.

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

Thank you.

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

It's an area I know well. The artery that runs through it, the New England Highway, is vital for our trucking sector.

You refer to misinformation. I want to be crystal clear about this question. There are people who have been spreading mischievous misinformation, and that is why it is so important that, on this supply question—I don't doubt that there are petrol stations in regional Australia where exactly the kind of circumstances that you've outlined are the case, but there is not a supply problem in Australia. Just now, the Australian Institute of Petroleum has issued a statement which makes it very clear. There is not a supply problem in Australia; there is some unusual demand behaviour. I'm sure, in a moment, we'll get to come to that. We are in a more fuel-secure position than we have been for 15 years, and that is the result of the government applying the minimum stockholding obligations that we've actually implemented.

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

Senator Nampijinpa Price, first supplementary?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sam Clifton—this is a real human, by the way—from Tamworth based Transwest Fuels said yesterday, 'If we can't get access to any fuel by Thursday or Friday, we're looking at shutting our entire service station and network down.' Minister, is Mr Clifton spreading misinformation too, or is he simply telling Australians the truth about what is happening on the ground in regional communities such as your own, evidently?

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

(—) (): Mr Clifton's experience is precisely the same as what has been relayed to us here in Canberra. The Australian Institute of Petroleum issued a statement that said: 'Over the last week, member companies have been hit by a sudden rush to buy fuel. In some cases, suppliers have seen bulk fuel customers buying four times their usual amount of fuel.' But, in supply terms, we have 1.56 billion litres of petrol. We have 2.97 billion litres of diesel. And that is why it's important for Australians and Australian institutions and Australian political leaders to communicate, clearly and in the public interest, the truth and to be transparent. Spreading misinformation, as some of your colleagues have, is mischievous and not in the national interest. (Time expired)

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

Senator Nampijinpa Price, second supplementary?

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (NT, Country Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Skills and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, if there is no supply problem, why are regional service stations already running dry? Or does the government now dismiss every inconvenient fact as misinformation?

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

No, it's some of your colleagues' behaviour that we dismiss as misinformation. The Australian Institute of Petroleum says:

AIP members have sufficient fuel supply to meet our normal customer fuel demand.

It also says:

In these circumstances, … members have had to prioritise supply to their regular customers and cease spot sales. This is a normal response to high demand …

What we can do, if we actually care about this situation, is to continue to communicate, in an effective and clear and transparent way, the truth of the position—2.97 billion litres of diesel; 1.56 billion litres of petrol here in Australia. If everybody continues in a normal way, not spreading out there for the click and not doing the advanced clicks, then that's what's in the national interest. (Time expired)