Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to place on record Labor's position on the referral of the Fuel Security Bill to a committee. We will not be supporting this referral, which has been moved without notice, not unlike the second reading amendment, which was also moved without the normal courtesies afforded to other participants in the debate in this chamber. This is a bill that, if it is not passed this week, will not come into effect in the way that it's intended. Our priority, in working through this legislation, is to ensure that the support that is required for fuel refineries is available from 1 July. We're disappointed that the government has placed the chamber in this position. The government has placed the chamber in this position where things have to be rushed. I was on the PJCIS when we reported on this back in 2018, making recommendations that the government actually do some work around fuel security, asking the Department of Home Affairs and the department of energy to do this work and come back to the parliament with a plan. It is incredible that we're dealing with it now, but here we are. We don't intend to hold up the bill's passage by further referral.