Albanese government says fuel supply ‘same, if not higher’ in coming weeks as Coalition calls for halving of excise | Australian politics
The Prime Minister and the Energy Minister have moved to reassure the public that fuel supplies will be at normal or higher levels in the coming weeks as the Coalition steps up calls for fuel cuts and the government downplays the prospect of any major restrictions on oil sales.
The consumer watchdog’s latest figures showed diesel prices in Australia’s five largest cities rose an average of 10% last week, while unleaded petrol rose 8%.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor on Friday called for fuel duty to be halved to help curb rising oil prices; It was an idea the Labor government rejected this week.
Latest figures from New South Wales have shown one in seven service stations in the state are running out of at least one type of fuel due to a surge in demand.
Anthony Albanese said he sympathized with families and businesses struggling with rising fuel bills but the government was working to provide more supply to areas experiencing shortages.
“We understand that people are under real pressure and the impact of this war is real,” the Prime Minister told a press conference in Canberra.
“This is happening on the other side of the world. But in today’s interconnected world, that’s why we have to act, and we accept that. I feel sorry for the people who are under pressure because of some of the shortcomings there.”
Albanese reiterated that the shortage was a “distribution” issue, particularly in regional areas, adding: “There has been no reduction in fuel supply or production to Australia.
Government sources expressed concerns about an economic crisis if people stop traveling and stay at home; Responses such as encouraging people to work from home or limiting driving (also featured in 2020 government documents on fuel crises) are currently considered unlikely.
Albanese said a specially convened national cabinet meeting of state and territory leaders on Monday would work on a “national response” to the fuel crisis, contrasting the different responses of various states to the Covid outbreak.
“One of the lessons of the Covid pandemic is that, as a nation, we have made a number of decisions that could have been made better if they had been properly considered. We also had different systems operating across eight states and territories,” Albanese said.
Albanese said six tankers of jet fuel from China would arrive in Australia between March 28 and April 8. Chris Bowen said jet fuel supplies from China are guaranteed until late April or early May.
““Australia’s supply of petrol, diesel and petrol will be the same, if not higher, than normal,” he said.
In NSW, the energy department said 347 of 2,414 service stations registered on its FuelCheck compliance platform – or just over a seventh – were temporarily out of stock of a type of fuel.
Fifty-nine stations ran out of any type of fuel, and 207 stations ran out of diesel, premium diesel, or both; This is an increase from Thursday’s figures.
Taylor on Friday called on the Albanian government to immediately halve the federal fuel tax for three months. This sales tax is set at 52.6 cents per liter of fuel purchased, and by cutting it in half, drivers have the potential to save 26 cents per liter.
Such a move would be expensive. Former opposition leader Peter Dutton has proposed halving fuel duty for 12 months in the 2025 election; This tax was determined as 50.8 cents per liter and its cost was estimated to be 6 billion dollars.
State premiers and federal independent politicians have called for the consumption tax to be cut, but treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Tuesday “it’s not something we’re considering”.
Analysis showed that it was wealthy households that would benefit most from such an idea; Economists have warned this could worsen oil shortages and increase inflation.
“Fuel prices are rising, stations are drying up, and families who are already struggling to make ends meet are falling further behind. This is now a national fuel crisis,” Taylor said.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan criticized the government’s handling of fuel shortages.
“The government says there is enough fuel in the system, but if that is true it is a failure to get fuel to where it is needed,” he said.
When asked about cutting fuel duty, Albanese did not support the idea but did not rule it out either, saying: “My government has always been strong on the cost of living issue. We will continue to do that. We do it responsibly in the context of our budget assessments.”
Average diesel prices in the five largest cities rose 10% on the previous week to 303.5 cents a litre, while regular unleaded petrol was up 8% to 252.2 cents a litre, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said on Friday.
Additional reporting by Penry Buckley
