Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. On the question of FuelWatch, we have looked carefully at the experience of the Western Australia state Liberal government, who introduced this scheme in 2000 and who continue to support it on a bipartisan basis. We have also taken advice from a range of people about its potential impact at the bowser. We have never overstated it. At the time of its launch we said about 2c on average over time at the bowser. But, as the Assistant Treasurer just said, the critical challenge lies in the ability to provide consumers with information 24 hours before as to where the cheapest petrol can be had in a given area. That is an important piece of information because, as honourable members would know, as you go from the CBD out into the suburbs across metropolitan Australia you can see such a huge variety of fuel prices across the suburban area and within the one day. Therefore, for us it simply makes basic common sense that this helps.

I am surprised, of all members in this place to stick up his head and ask a question about fuel policy, that the member for Wentworth has just done so. If you are trying to find a coherent position on the part of the Liberal Party when it comes to fuel policy and fuel pricing, where do you go? In the ‘yes’ camp on the excise arrangement which they announced on budget reply night we have the Leader of the Opposition, and now in the ‘no’ camp we have—they get very sensitive about this—

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