Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Treasurer, Senator Gallagher. The ACCC states that because of the temporary cut in the fuel excise:

… in the period between 29 March and 10 May 2022, the largest decrease seen in average daily regular unleaded petrol prices was:

Does the minister agree?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have got no reason to disagree with the ACCC. I have no reason to. The information I have before me, which is, I think, taken from a different data source, aligns largely with that. Yes, in the larger markets falls were in the order of anywhere from 26 per cent in Sydney, to, I think, the biggest in Perth and Darwin, which were higher than that. Yes, I have no reason to disagree that because of the fuel excise temporary measure we did see a fall from the peaks that were experienced in March.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a first supplementary?

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister advise the Senate on the average monthly benefit to motorists living in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth of the decision to provide temporary fuel excise relief?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

(—) (): I don't have that information. I will see if I can make it available. It would vary considerably, obviously, across households, depending on the number of cars, the distance that you travel for work, people living in the suburbs and commuting to the city versus those who are in the city. There are a whole range of different factors there. I don't think any of us are disputing the fact that the excise, which cost $2.9 billion for six months, reduced the price of petrol at the bowser. That was the intention of that policy. It was when petrol prices were considerably higher than they are right now. Your party, when in government, set the timetable for that to come off at the end of September. Our decision is aligned with the timetable that you, when you were in government, set. It was set as a temporary measure. As people would know, I'll have the opportunity to talk further— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a second supplementary?

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Treasurer, Mr Chalmers, has said:

… industry estimates that there'll be more than 700 million litres of lower excise fuel in the system when the fuel excise is reintroduced… And so the ACCC and the Government expect that the price of petrol shouldn't shoot up at the bowser on Wednesday night by the full 23 cents if the normal market pressures are in operation.

Given the Treasurer's comments, can the minister confirm the date on which Australian motorists can expect to be paying— (Time expired)

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It will be the date when those 700 million litres expire. That's the point we're trying to make—that we will look very firmly down on any petrol station that has supplies purchased under the previous arrangement that sees the need to, overnight, jack the price up 23c a litre. We want to make sure that people get the right deal, to the maximum possible benefit, from the fuel that was purchased under the arrangements where the temporary measure was in place. I think that's entirely reasonable. I hope you would agree with that. I think petrol stations will do the right thing. We wanted to make sure the Australian people knew about that, which is why we made those comments last week and it's why the ACCC will be watching this as the temporary measure comes off. But we would like to see people do the right thing. It's a generous measure that's been put in place, but it's only temporary. (Time expired)