Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026; Second Reading

Jarrett defended the government's record on cost-of-living relief, stating the bill halved fuel excise for three months to assist households and businesses. Jarrett detailed additional measures including releasing fuel reserves, changing fuel standards, and increasing penalties for price gouging to $100 million per offence. Jarrett highlighted support for the trucking industry through emergency contract chain orders and noted the ACCC would monitor retailers to ensure savings were passed on. Jarrett urged Australians to conserve fuel and use public transport where possible.

Birrell acknowledged the temporary relief but argued it did not address Australia's structural vulnerability regarding fuel security and reliance on imports. Birrell cited the Page Research Centre report, warning that domestic production and expanded refining capacity were essential for national security. Birrell stated that without long-term strategy, short-term relief gave a false sense of security and could be inflationary without offsets. Birrell urged the government to consider fuel security as a core national responsibility involving dedicated planning and accountability.

Briskey argued the bill provided immediate, targeted relief without undermining budget discipline or long-term economic reforms. Briskey explained the excise cut would reduce costs by nearly $19 for a standard tank and support freight operators with a combined saving of 32.4 cents per litre. Briskey noted the bill gave the Treasurer flexibility to adjust rates further if global conditions worsened. Briskey emphasised that Treasury estimated the measure would lower headline inflation by 0.5 percentage points during the June quarter.

Littleproud supported the bill but criticised the government for failing to anticipate supply chain disruptions following the onset of conflict in February. Littleproud argued the government focused on capital city service stations while neglecting regional supply chains and secondary wholesale markets. Littleproud claimed the Minister for Climate Change and Energy had powers to manage fuel distribution but failed to use them, leading to shortages for farmers and regional businesses. Littleproud described the response as a late catch-up driven by political pressure rather than strategic foresight.

Payne supported the bill, highlighting the halving of fuel excise and setting the heavy vehicle road user charge to nil for a quarter. Payne argued the government acted decisively through National Cabinet to provide relief without recklessness, contrasting this with opposition proposals to cut clean energy incentives. Payne noted the ACCC would monitor retailers to ensure savings were passed on and increased penalties for price gouging. Payne argued the crisis underscored the need for a transition to renewable energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Gee supported the bill but argued it did not go far enough to prevent price gouging in regional areas. Gee promoted his Fair Fuel Price Bill, which would allow the government to set fuel prices during extraordinary disruptions, similar to measures used in the Second World War. Gee cited constituent stories illustrating the severe financial impact of high fuel prices on workers, businesses, and essential services. Gee argued that increasing penalties without improving prosecution powers was ineffective and that direct price controls were necessary to protect consumers.

Coker argued that the bill delivered immediate relief by halving the fuel excise to 26.3 cents per litre from 1 April to 30 June, saving typical households nearly $19 per tank. Coker highlighted that the heavy vehicle road user charge would be reduced to zero, providing significant savings for trucking operators and supporting the freight sector. Coker emphasised that the government had strengthened ACCC powers to penalise price gouging with fines up to $100 million and noted that National Cabinet had endorsed the National Fuel Security Plan to coordinate the response.

Kennedy stated that the coalition supported the bill to provide urgent relief to families and businesses struggling with high living costs. Kennedy argued that the measure lacked budgetary offsets, which risked exacerbating inflation and potentially leading to further interest rate rises by the Reserve Bank. Kennedy criticised the government for delayed action and poor planning regarding fuel supply, noting that nearly 500 petrol stations were without fuel and that previous policies had contributed to high energy costs.

Ryan supported the legislation, noting it reduced fuel costs for road users and deferred a planned increase in the road user charge. Ryan urged community members to report any unfair pricing practices to her office so they could be referred to the ACCC. Ryan highlighted additional government actions, including releasing minimum stock obligations, reducing sulphur content standards, and underwriting fuel imports to ensure supply stability during the crisis.

Boyce supported the bill but expressed concern about the impact on the budget and inflation due to the absence of offsets. Boyce described supply chain issues in rural Queensland, where third-party providers struggled to secure fuel quotas for agricultural and transport sectors. Boyce questioned the effectiveness of ACCC enforcement against price gouging and argued for greater national self-reliance in fuel production, dismissing the near-term viability of electric vehicles for heavy transport and farming.