Australia politics as it happened: Coalition attacks Labor for fuel supply issues in question time

Thank you for following our live coverage of question time in the House of Representatives. Here’s what happened this afternoon:

• Energy Minister Chris Bowen provided updated data on the number of petrol stations running low on fuel across the country. He also provided new data on the rate of distribution to independent and regional suppliers from large petroleum firms. Bowen said the data showed significant increases compared to this time last year.
• One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce urged the government to immediately bring in fuel rationing, arguing that by the time shortages hit, it will be too late. He said farmers were considering how they could conserve their fuel consumption as prices rocket, and the effects would eventually be felt across the country.
• Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has accused Barnaby Joyce of stoking fear over Australia’s food security, saying Australia could produce enough food amid the oil shock.

Today was the last sitting day of the week; however, parliament will return on Monday with another session of question time.

Meanwhile, you can follow along with our live coverage of the war in Iran here.

Following an update earlier in question time on the provision of fuel to regional independent stations by Ampol, Energy Minister Chris Bowen has provided similar data from Viva Energy.

Compared to last March, Viva has provided 43 per cent more fuel to New South Wales, 22 per cent more to Queensland, 14 per cent more to South Australia, and 8 per cent more to Western Australia.

“If you take Ampol and Viva together, they are supplying a lot more petrol and diesel to regional Australia now than they were a year ago,” Bowen said.

“That is catching up with that massive increase in demand that we saw in the days following the 28th of February [attacks on Iran by the US and Israel],” Bowen said.

“That is showing progress in a difficult circumstance.”

Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has persisted with the Coalition’s tactic of personalising the fuel crisis with stories from struggling Australians.

“The way things are going, I won’t be able to afford to go to work. It’s either pay the bills and starve or eat and not pay the bills,” McIntosh quoted a constituent from Penrith.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the government had been taking action since the conflict began to shore up supply to regional service stations, as well as reassuring people that oil was arriving as planned.

Agriculture Minister Julie Collins has accused Barnaby Joyce of stoking fear over Australia’s food security, saying Australia could produce enough food amid the oil shock.

The One Nation MP said he was regularly being contacted by farmers and their transporters, and had even heard from funeral homes who could not get fuel. Joyce asked Collins what contingency plans were in place to ensure food would keep being delivered.

“We currently export around 80 per cent of our primary produce in terms of value,” Collins said.

“So the member opposite shouldn’t be panicking people when it comes to food supply. We will continue to work with our farmers in relation to fuel, fertiliser.”

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has offered year-on-year data on the increase of fuel supply from petroleum firm Ampol to independent retailers in regional areas, as he faces another day of grilling from the opposition in question time.

Bowen said between March of last year and March of this year, there were across the board increases.

Here is the state-by-state breakdown the minister provided:

• NSW – 40 per cent higher
• Queensland – 33 per cent higher
• South Australia – 66 per cent higher
• Tasmania – 22 per cent higher
• Victoria – 19 per cent higher
• Western Australia – 64 per cent higher.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is running through a list of actions the government has taken to address the fuel crisis as the opposition picks up right where we left off question time yesterday: criticising Labor’s response to the oil shock.

“We’ve begun the release of 20 per cent of Australia’s fuel reserves,” the prime minister said.

“We’ve changed petrol standards to get more fuel flowing. We’ve changed diesel standards so Australian refineries can supply more diesel.”

Albanese pointed to national cabinet, set to convene on Monday, to assess further emergency measures.

“A calm, steady, fact-based approach is what we are focused on, because we want Australia to be over prepared. I want us to have the strongest plan so we are ready for what may come.”