Labor’s $2.95bn fuel excise relief is set to end at the weekend after Anthony Albanese stuck to the government’s timeline of the cut lifting in August, even as some of his MPs demand cheaper fuel should continue or be reconsidered each month.
Visiting Karratha in Western Australia on Tuesday to promote a pre-feasibility study into a new large-scale oil refinery, the Prime Minister said he was conscious of the pressures families were facing and would continue to provide cost-of-living relief but indicated that would no longer be through a cut to the fuel excise.
The government tapered down the relief from a cut of 26c a litre between March and June to 16c a litre in July, with a plan to restore the full 52c fuel excise from Monday. The three-month halving of the fuel excise saved motorists nearly $17 on a 65-litre tank of petrol, compared with an $8.45 save per tank this month.
Pressed on whether the fuel excise cut would end at midnight on Sunday, Mr Albanese said: “We’ve made that announcement some time ago, that it will go, step down from the 32c to 16c if you combine the commonwealth and state relief which is there.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong was more direct on ABC News Breakfast. “Currently, the plan is for the fuel excise to step down. As you know, it’s come down, it’s halved and the intention is for that to discontinue as of this weekend,” she said.
“What we are focused on is assuring continued fuel and fertiliser coming into Australia. And we are calling, as so many in the international community are, for there to be a ceasefire and negotiations and an end to this (US-Iran) conflict, which has caused so much global turmoil.”
In comments that confused Senator Wong’s remarks, Resources Minister Madeleine King said the government hadn’t ruled out extending fuel excise relief. “We won’t rule anything out,” Ms King said on ABC Radio National.
“The government is very much aware of the pressure the increase in fuel prices does put on Australian families and we have taken action in the past and will continue to monitor how these prices affect people and seek to deliver that kind of relief as best we can.”
While Labor MPs to whom The Australian spoke on Tuesday acknowledged the high price tag of the fuel excise relief, with the month-long extension in July costing $400m alone, some were privately urging Mr Albanese and Jim Chalmers to maintain the cut.
Victorian Labor MP Rob Mitchell said his electorate of McEwen had the highest number of cars per household and suggested the government could consider relief at the bowser on a month-by-month basis, depending on what global oil prices were doing.
NSW Labor MP Mike Freelander said 70 per cent of his constituents in Macarthur worked outside the area and many had to drive to work and to pick up kids from school because of poor access to good public transport.
Nationals leader Matt Canavan said it was time for the fuel excise relief to be lifted but the government should “just wait and see where things are going”.
“If petrol spikes again, that’s something (another cut to the fuel excise) that should be considered. But it can only be considered if we have a stable and responsible level of fiscal management,” he told News24.
Senator Canavan and Angus Taylor were sceptical a new oil refinery would be built in WA, saying the government must “scrap its carbon taxes for the project to succeed”.
“Labor cannot promise a new refinery while its carbon tax is set to cost Australia’s last two refineries in Brisbane and Geelong $165m by 2030,” the Opposition Leader said.
Extracted in full from: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/anthony-albanese-penny-wong-say-labors-intention-is-for-295bn-fuel-excise-relief-to-end-on-sunday-night/news-story/6156891d1238f6c39dd527dd23017726
