Senate

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister rejected the premise, accusing the opposition of hyperpartisan behaviour. He highlighted government actions including implementing minimum stockholding obligations, empowering the ACCC against price gouging, and appointing a coordinator-general to manage supply.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister outlined actions including releasing 20 per cent of diesel and fuel reserves, cracking down on price gouging via the ACCC, and appointing Anthea Harris as fuel supply taskforce coordinator. She noted that ministers were engaging internationally, including a joint statement with Singapore on energy security, to ensure critical waterways remained open.

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister explained that 519 million litres of new supply were being prioritised for regional demand. He listed specific towns receiving additional fuel, including Hay, Griffith, Gunnedah, Orange, and Dubbo, noting cooperation with state governments to distribute national stockholdings.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister stated the government's immediate priority was fuel security rather than tax changes. She noted previous reforms to the petroleum resources rent tax and emphasised the need to secure supply amidst global instability.

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister reported releasing 762 million litres of petrol and diesel from national stockholdings and temporarily lowering fuel standards to retain 100 million litres monthly. He also highlighted doubled ACCC penalties for price gouging and cartel behaviour.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister defended the visit as an invitation from the community aimed at fostering social cohesion. She argued that engaging respectfully with diverse views was preferable to raising temperatures or shouting down dissent.

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister stated that six out of 81 shipments had been deferred or cancelled, a fact that had only recently become clear. He emphasised that the government was swapping in fuel capacity and maintaining domestic reserves, contrasting this with previous government policies.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister stated that politicians do not arrest people, citing separation of powers. She noted that One Nation had voted against the legislation banning Hizb ut-Tahrir, thereby hindering the government's ability to act against such groups.

Answer from Tim Ayres

The minister did not directly address rationing powers but guaranteed that domestic reserves were being used to address undersupply issues. He contrasted current domestic storage with previous government practices of storing reserves overseas.

Answer from Penny Wong

The minister observed that Australia obtained 65 per cent of its fertiliser-grade urea from the Middle East and that costs were unstable. She said most supplies for the next season were already in Australia or at sea, and that resuming local urea manufacturing in Western Australia was an immediate goal.