Joel Fitzgibbon (Hunter, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Revenue) Share this | Hansard source

We will give you a chance after I conclude. How many people—and/or vehicles—does he expect will take up the government’s LPG grant as announced in the Prime Minister’s energy statement on Monday? This is a very important question, because we are assessing this fuels statement on the basis of its impact, on the basis of how many people it is likely to assist. We know it is not going to help anyone that is stuck on petrol. But, given the amount of money which has been allocated and given the framework which has been announced, how many people will have the opportunity to take up LPG and receive that grant? My back of the envelope calculation is about 400,000 out of 13 million. That equates to something less than three per cent of motor vehicles in any given electorate. That is three per cent or less in the electorates of Robertson, Dobell, Paterson, Parramatta, Adelaide and Braddon. In any seat you want to name, it is three per cent or less.

I am happy for the industry minister to rise to his feet when I conclude this contribution and tell me that I am wrong, but I tell you what he needs to hope. He needs to hope I am very wrong. It is not much help to him if he gets up and says, ‘The member for Hunter is wrong to say it is less than three per cent; it is in fact three per cent’ or it is four per cent or five per cent or even 10 per cent. It is not a very efficient fuels policy if it does no more than help even 10 per cent of those families and businesses that are bleeding out there because of the impact of high petrol prices.

So, minister, we are issuing you with a very important challenge. Get up here to this dispatch box and tell us the answers. Are you supporting our trade practices amendments and, if not, why not? Are you supporting the expansion of the referral powers of the ACCC and, if not, why not? Are you going to tell us—we know you have got the numbers; it would be incompetent of the government if you did not have the numbers—how many people are going to have an opportunity to access your LPG grants scheme? Of course, we would like some breakdowns by electorate as well if you have the capacity to give us that information.

I have said this has been a free-ranging and productive debate. We know the government needs to move on to its legislative program, and we are prepared to be cooperative. I am prepared for this to be my last contribution to this debate. But, if we do not get the answers that we are looking for from the minister, we will have to get up again and again and again until he gives us the answers. So it is his turn now. Minister, just give us the answers we require. Tell us how many people will benefit from your LPG grants scheme.

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