Summary
Six bills were introduced or advanced on 30 March 2026. The Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Amendment (Strategic Reserve) Bill 2026 passed its second and third readings after two divisions in which it was opposed by 91 and 96 votes to 43 and 38 respectively, indicating the government carried both votes on the numbers. The two Appropriation (Fuel Security Response) Bills also reached third reading. Other bills introduced included the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Stop the Gambling Ads) Bill 2026, the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Stripping Terrorists of Australian Citizenship) Bill 2026, and the High Seas Biodiversity Bill 2026. In question time, members directed multiple questions to the Prime Minister and Treasurer about the fuel supply situation, including questions on diesel shortages at New South Wales service stations, the pace of the government's response, fuel prioritisation for farmers, and ACCC powers to ensure fuel excise cuts are passed on to consumers. The Treasurer also faced a question about housing tax concessions, to which he indicated the government's position had not changed.
Questions
Fuel
Ryan asked how the Treasurer can ensure retailers will pass on fuel excise cuts to drivers, given price gouging isn't illegal in Australia. Chalmers responded by outlining increased ACCC powers and penalties (up to $100 million) to crack down on fuel price gouging, and indicated he had just written to the ACCC to ensure excise cut benefits are passed to consumers, though he did not directly address the mechanism ensuring retail compliance.
Fuel
Kennedy asked the Prime Minister to confirm that 10 per cent of service stations in New South Wales have no diesel and how many service stations nationally lack fuel. Albanese acknowledged supply issues exist at select petrol stations and outlined government measures to increase supply, including fuel standard changes and regional allocation, but did not directly confirm the specific statistic about NSW diesel shortages or provide a national figure.
Fuel
Andrew Willcox asked Prime Minister Albanese why he was slow to respond to a national fuel crisis affecting volunteer drivers supporting renal patients in Mackay. Albanese acknowledged the volunteer work, outlined the National Fuel Security Plan's emphasis on voluntary conservation and using public transport, and expressed understanding of the public's anxiety, but did not directly address the criticism about his leadership response time.
Fuel Security
Chester questioned why the government lacks clarity on fuel prioritisation for farmers during a potential crisis, suggesting the Prime Minister leads too slowly on national emergencies. Albanese responded by outlining the national fuel security plan's stages, noting 20% of reserves have been released to regional areas and that a Saturday decision allows additional fuel purchases, attributing price pressures to the Middle East conflict.
Housing
Sophie Scamps asked the Treasurer to commit to reforming housing tax concessions to address intergenerational inequity, citing 62% support in her electorate. Treasurer Chalmers deflected, stating the government has not changed its position on this policy, instead emphasizing other housing initiatives like building more homes and five per cent deposit schemes, plus tax cuts and superannuation changes as responses to intergenerational concerns.
Fuel
Mary Aldred asked why the Prime Minister was slow to lead on the national fuel crisis, citing concerns from Ageing Australia about workers not taking shifts. Prime Minister Albanese responded directly by detailing multiple government measures taken to address the fuel crisis, including convening National Cabinet twice, halving fuel excise for three months, releasing fuel reserves, introducing new legislation, and establishing a Fuel Supply Taskforce.
Aged Care
Rebekha Sharkie questioned whether completing only 2 reviews of 414 appeals over seven weeks was acceptable for Support at Home packages. Minister Sam Rae did not directly address the appeal review timeline, instead defending the assessment system overall by citing 180,000 completed assessments since November, noting review requests represent less than 0.5% of assessments, and highlighting improvements to assessment timeframes under the new system.
Fuel
The member asked the Prime Minister for specific information about how many service stations are out of fuel, citing a farmer in his electorate facing a critical shortage. The Prime Minister deflected from the direct question by offering personal assistance to the individual farmer and highlighting the government's broader fuel security measures and work with states and territories, but did not provide the requested data on service station fuel availability.