Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

There is a clear contrast when it comes to fuel prices: the government wants to watch fuel prices; we want to cut them. And we have form. The coalition in government cut taxes on petrol and diesel. There was a 6.7c per litre cut in excise in 2000 and a further 1.5c cut in 2001. The coalition also abolished indexation. As a result, petrol is now around 20c less than it would have been without these measures. That is the coalition’s record. And we want to go further, because here in this place, in the response to the budget, we have said that we want to cut the fuel excise by a further 5c. So we want to go further in ensuring that there are lower petrol prices for families and Australians all around the country.

As reported in today’s Sydney Morning Herald, fuel prices have increased by 25.7c per litre since Labor came to power. That is what has happened since November. The government’s answer is Fuelwatch, a plan repudiated by the Labor Premier of Queensland and by the man who is the Minister for Resources and Energy and Minister for Tourism, a very honest and decent man, as working against the interests of working families, especially in Western Sydney, where he was born and raised—so he should know. It has also been repudiated by motoring organisations in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

This government’s answer when it comes to fuel prices is to sit on the sideline and watch. As with so many measures in the budget, they did not think this thing through. It exposes their lack of judgement and highlights their lack of experience. Yesterday the Prime Minister came into this place and laid out in front of him on the table a forest of spin. We saw it in the papers today. There were papers all over the place.

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