Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Treasurer. I refer to the minister’s claim, on the AM radio program today, in defence of the FuelWatch scheme in Western Australia:

Well in Perth today you will find that the price of fuel is on average less than the other capital cities.

Can the minister confirm that, according to motormouth.com.au, the average price of fuel today is $1.40 in Brisbane, $1.49 in Melbourne, $1.50 in Sydney and $1.51 in Adelaide and has increased to $1.55 in Perth? Didn’t the minister blatantly mislead listeners about the effectiveness of Labor’s Fuelwatch scheme?

Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

If my honourable friend would quote the whole interview, he would provide a very different indication to the House. What I am more than happy to confirm for the House is that the ACCC has found that fuel, on average, has been cheaper in Perth for every one of the last five months and has been cheaper in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. I am more than happy to enlighten the House on the full interview.