Monday 30 March 2026

AI Summary

Senator Cash asked the Prime Minister to guarantee fuel availability at service stations before Easter and that fuel excise cuts be passed through to motorists in full. Minister Wong responded by outlining a National Cabinet decision to implement a four-level national fuel security plan in response to Middle East conflict impacts on energy markets, but did not directly address the specific guarantees requested regarding fuel pump availability or excise cut pass-through by Easter weekend.

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Senator McGrath questioned the government's plan to address crop production losses from fuel and fertiliser shortages affecting grain farmers' planting decisions. Minister Wong responded by outlining the government's fuel supply measures, including private sector fuel purchase underwriting and the National Fuel Security Plan, but did not directly address the specific question about contingency planning if planting is halved or acknowledge the fertiliser crisis component of McGrath's question.

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Senator Waters asked why the government won't fund free public transport to reduce fuel demand during the fuel crisis and proposed a 25 per cent gas export tax. Minister Wong welcomed state initiatives on lower-cost public transport, outlined the government's fuel excise reduction package, but did not commit to federal funding for free public transport or address the proposed gas tax, instead pivoting to criticize Iran's actions.

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Pocock questioned whether the government would scrap tax concessions for property investors in the May budget, arguing $53 billion in tax breaks have wasted resources that could fund social housing. Minister Ayres deflected by stating budget announcements come in the normal budget process and pivoted to defending the government's tax cuts for all taxpayers and commitment to housing supply through the housing affordability future fund, without directly addressing the specific question about scrapping property investor tax breaks.

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Senator McKenzie asked about the government's plan to manage potential jet fuel shortages affecting emergency response and agricultural aviation during peak planting season. Minister Wong acknowledged jet fuel as a focus area, attributed pressure to global market shocks, and stated the government is engaging with international partners to secure alternative supplies and relying on minimum stockholding obligations, but did not provide specific details about contingency planning for the scenarios raised.

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Senator Hanson asked the government to commit to resumed full-time oil and gas exploration and abandon net zero policies to ensure long-term fuel security. Minister Wong responded by highlighting the government's release of exploration areas since 2022, criticizing previous coalition closures of refineries, and noting that previous exploration proposals like drilling in the Great Australian Bight were abandoned under the previous government, while arguing that national resilience requires diverse approaches beyond domestic drilling.

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Senator Babet asked whether Australia has imported refined fuel products derived from Russian crude oil and whether the government should ban such imports in the national interest. Minister Wong confirmed that substantial bans on Russian fuel imports are in place under the current government, but acknowledged the technical difficulty in determining the origin of substantially transformed oil products and stated the government has encouraged supply chain disclosure rather than implementing a blanket ban on all refined products that may contain Russian crude.

AI Summary

Senator Liddle raised concerns about regional Australians with serious health conditions being forced to ration medical travel due to fuel scarcity and high prices, asking for government guarantees before Easter. Senator Wong acknowledged the difficult situations, announced fuel excise reductions, outlined measures to increase regional fuel supply (releasing stockholding reserves, underwriting additional supply, and coordinating with states and distributors), but did not provide a specific guarantee that fuel would be both affordable and available before Easter.