Ahead of the Easter break, we had two weeks in Parliament where the fuel crisis was the central issue, as it is in many households and businesses across the country.
It was a relief when the Federal Government took on the Coalition’s call to halve the fuel tax to provide urgent relief from escalating fuel prices, but there could be still a long way to go with the current crisis.
Over the past month, I have been hearing from people across the electorate of Parkes whose businesses are absolutely struggling following this sudden and massive increase in fuel prices, and the equally sudden handbrake applied to fuel supplies, along with the escalating concerns with access to and the price of fertiliser.
Independent fuel wholesalers have been unable to get their usual supplies of fuel to sell on to farmers and businesses. Freight companies are facing a fuel supply shortage and huge increases to their business costs – costs that will have to be added on for the customer at the other end, and this will have an inflationary impact. It has the potential to see further decisions from the RBA to increase rates.
There are so many families – in Boomi, in Barmedman, in Bourke – right across the Parkes electorate – who are having to rethink every drive. This is particularly hard when you live in regional New South Wales and face the tyranny of distance every time the kids go to school, you go to work or you attend medical appointments.
It’s times like these that Australians look for a strong leader to show the way forward.
It’s up to the Prime Minister to make good on his promise to ensure the states and territories won’t benefit from the elevated prices that are occurring because of the GST. He promised GST relief and that is what’s needed.
In the current cost-of-living circumstances, the unpreparedness for this fuel crisis and the slow and incomplete response is very disappointing. We need certainty for our families, for our farms and for our businesses, and it’s not being addressed.
I urge everyone in the electorate of Parkes to help keep track of the fuel situation by reporting shortages on the www.nofuelhere.com.au website. This tool will help show where the problems are across the electorate, and across the country.
The gun reforms continue to cause problems. The Labor Government’s national gun buyback scheme is already failing, with most states and territories refusing to sign before the March 2026 deadline.
Some states and territories are objecting to this scheme because of the cost implications, the limitations it puts on law-abiding gun owners without any consultation about the consequences, or because they have their own voluntary firearm buyback schemes.
To make matters worse, the government has not introduced a single measure to strengthen our counter-terrorism responses. There was a huge delay on calling a Royal Commission – an outright refusal at first – and then after it was announced, special advisor to the Antisemitism Royal Commission, Dennis Richardson, retired.
This response to a tragic event has been a series of misfires, and I am sorely disappointed on behalf of not only people in the electorate of Parkes, but all Australians, who deserve better.
Jamie Chaffey is the current National Party Member for the federal seat of Parkes and Shadow Assistant Minister for Resources, Regional Development, Local Government and Territories.
Chaffey’s Corner is his regular newsletter.
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