Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McKenzie. We are aware that there are some particular stakeholders who don't support what we're doing because they like things as they currently stand. But, as I say, the NRMA are supporting what we're doing. The RACQ are supporting what we're doing. The RAC WA is supporting what we're doing. And Senator Sharma is supporting what we're doing. So thank you, Senator Sharma, for your support.

I would inform Senator McKenzie and all of her National Party colleagues who want to go on about ending weekends that there's another country not too far from here that is a little bit similar to Australia which likes its utes and pick-up trucks and likes driving long distances. It's called the United States of America. Do you know what? They've had fuel efficiency standards in place for 50 years. The last time I watched a movie set in America, there was a pick-up truck in that movie, because there are lots of pick-up trucks in America, despite their having fuel efficiency standards. That is exactly what will happen here at the same time as providing cost-of-living relief to Australians by reducing petrol prices. Why do you want regional Australians to keep paying more for their petrol rather than having what we are proposing now?