Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is also to the Treasurer. Is the Treasurer aware that, between the election and last Saturday, the average price of petrol has increased by 4c a litre in Sydney, 4.8c a litre in Melbourne, 4.9c a litre in Brisbane and 7.1c a litre in Adelaide? Will the Treasurer advise the House what flow-on impact this petrol increase, along with the new tax on diesel for trucks, will have on grocery prices?

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question because we do take cost of living pressures very seriously on this side of the House, unlike those opposite who did not take them seriously for 11 years, which is why we have a petrol commissioner in place in the ACCC. It feeds into inflation; there is no doubt about that. That is why we on this side of the House will take every possible action that we can take to put downward pressure on prices and make sure that markets are competitive.

Peter Dutton (Dickson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, on a point of order which goes to relevance: how can the Treasurer suggest to the Australian people that the petrol commissioner has already started work when he hasn’t?

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Dickson will resume his seat, and the Leader of the House will resume his seat. A point of order is not an invitation to come to the dispatch box to debate the point. The member for Dickson knows that full well and should not adopt that as a habit.

Chris Pearce (Aston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Pearce interjecting

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Aston will leave the chamber for one hour.

The member for Aston then left the chamber.