HANSARD - Fuel Security

Mr PASIN (Barker) (13:53): Families and businesses in my regional electorate are getting smashed by fuel prices and are growing increasingly concerned about supply. In one small town with a single fuel station, that fuel station sold out of fuel yesterday. The closest petrol station is 50 kilometres away, and they're not expecting fuel until later this week. That's not a fuel shortage; that's a fuel crisis.

I've been contacted by many concerned constituents in my electorate. Mark from Frances is one. He's a livestock producer who is very concerned at the apparent price-gouging for fuel and is sick of being ripped off. Mark isn't convinced that the ACCC will do anything. Mark says that it's hard enough to make a living from farming, and now having to pay more for fuel imports means that any profit margin is squeezed even tighter. Even worse, the prospect of having reduced or insecure fuel would be a disaster for his business.

The Australian economy runs on diesel. Fuel security is national security. It's also economic security. Minister for Energy and Climate Change Chris Bowen needs to assure Australians that he has a plan to keep fuel flowing and that Australians won't be ripped off at the bowser by fuel companies that are seeking to profit from the war in the Middle East. Not surprisingly, Australians are panicking because they don't trust this minister to get it right. Quite frankly, who would blame them?