Peter Slipper (Fisher, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am particularly pleased that last Friday, 15 June, the Treasurer announced that an inquiry will be held into petrol prices. I must say that I have often been concerned that the petrol price in Queensland, which does have a subsidy on fuel, is not very much less than that in New South Wales. I have wondered for a long time whether the taxpayers and the road users of Queensland are subsidising those in other states. It is interesting when one gets close to the Queensland-New South Wales border that the price in New South Wales appears to be almost at the Queensland price.

Petrol prices have for a long time been an issue of debate and controversy. Of course it was the coalition government that reduced Labor’s fuel excise. We took away indexation and we actually reduced the price of fuel a number of years ago. If that had not happened then the price of fuel at the bowser would be substantially more than it currently is. But there is no doubt that right around the country, in workplaces, bars, hotels, sporting clubs and even at petrol bowsers themselves, there is ongoing discussion as to whether the price being paid by the Australian motorists at the bowser is indeed fair and reasonable.

The ever-fluctuating price of fuel provides a constant source of bewilderment for a great number of Australians. I know people say that it is because of the law of supply and demand, but I have to say that I have had many complaints from constituents who say that just before pensions are paid or just before the end of the week or just as a public holiday approaches the price of fuel seems to go up, yet it seems to go down for no apparent reason when there is not a high demand for fuel. That might be the law of supply and demand, but the price going up and down—a bit like someone having a heart attack, as disclosed by a cardiograph—may indicate there is some action by fuel companies that is not in the interests of the road user.

The ACCC say that the simple answer is that the price of fuel, like the price of other commodities in a consumer-driven society, is demand driven. They point out that prices are subjected to a competitive market in which prices will drop when the demand is down and prices will rise when the demand is high. It is not rocket science for us to realise that these demands seem to rise around pay day and on the weekends and, as I said before, drop early in the week. The fact that prices might be consumer driven, even though it might be correct that this is the case, does not really justify the kinds of price hikes and spikes that we seem to see from time to time.

In April last year the chairman of the ACCC, Graeme Samuel, made it clear that if the ACCC ever find any evidence of this sort of collusion amongst fuel retailers to keep fuel prices high then they would use their substantial investigatory powers to uncover any illegal activity. Despite this explanation, it is likely that fluctuations in the price of petrol will continue to be a hot topic in the future because petrol is a must-have commodity, given the fact that we are a country with a large road system that is spread over a huge area and public transport is not quite what one would desire.

It does remain an ongoing challenge to the family budget when one looks at what the average family pays each week in fuel. The honourable member for Prospect appropriately raises this matter of private members’ business for debate in the people’s chamber. Having said that, I think, regrettably, the member has sought to politicise an issue when the government has already announced that action will be taken.

It is obvious also that, when in power, the Labor Party seemed to have a policy of hiking petrol prices. It is also a fact that, if state Labor governments were of a mind to introduce price controls on petrol, they could indeed do so. But Labor have not done so. I am not suggesting that this should be done, but I believe very strongly that we ought to look closely at the price being charged at the bowser because I share the concern of many other honourable members that all is not well in the area of petrol marketing.

However, the ALP has been desperately trawling for issues as the next election approaches. This government, though, continues to provide sound, effective government, as it has done since 1996, and the Treasurer’s recent announcement indicates that the government is on top of this issue. (Time expired)

See this speech in context