Government ‘constantly monitoring and analysing’ fuel crisis, Chalmers says
My colleague, Tom McIlroy, asks the treasure to respond to concerns from fuel analysts that Australia will struggle to import fuel from Asia after mid-April.
The treasurer says the government is working around the clock to deal with those issues.
Jim Chalmers says he asked Treasury to model different scenarios last week, and has asked them again to model some more challenging scenarios.
double quotation markWe are constantly monitoring and analysing the consequences and potential consequences for Australia.
I said, in Melbourne last week, we asked the Treasury to model a couple of scenarios which look pretty conservative now. One scenario was global oil at 100 bucks a barrel for a shorter period, another 100 bucks a barrel for a longer period and we’ve asked for some more challenging circumstances to be modelled.
Updated at 00.27 EDT
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ShareTL,DR: here’s what happened in question timeShare
Updated at 00.36 EDT
Question time ends
After a final dixer to the transport minister, Catherine King, question time ends for another day.
Updated at 00.37 EDT
Bob Katter is back for a second question
The member for Kennedy asks about access to fresh food and seafood in far north Queensland and the effect of diabetes in the area.
Health minister, Mark Butler, says the rise of type 2 diabetes is one of the most pressing public health challenges the country has.
He also says there are concerns around access to food, particularly in First Nations communities in regional areas, which the minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, is looking at.
double quotation markThe member raises the more important questions about how we prevent people going into diabetes in the first place, we have been working very hard, through minister McCarthy in particular, to improve food security in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. And that program, the low cost essential subsidy scheme, is already subsidising the cost of dozens of essential items in grocery stores in remote communities.
Health minister Mark Butler speaks during question time. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 00.34 EDT
Nationals MP asks aged care minister about essential services
Kevin Hogan, is up next and asks the aged care minister, Sam Rae, how the government will ensure rising fuel costs won’t affect essential aged care services. He says in his electorate of Page in regional NSW, “community transport providers are warning that without urgent fuel cost support, they will have to reduce services to more than 2,000 people.”
Rae says “that fuel stocks continue to arrive on time and in the quantities expected” but that the government is monitoring the effects of fuel price increases on essential services.
He adds there are existing programs provided by the aged care department that aged care services can access for support.
The opposition tries to make a point of order, but gets shut down by the Speaker.
Rae continues:
double quotation markWe stand ready support aged care businesses through our availability support services and department, we have a market adjustment program, dedicated first-nation support programs, first-nation support programs, business and workforce advisory services and continue to support these providers who look after communities.
Kevin Hogan. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 00.09 EDT
ABC lodges application with Fair Work for assistance to resolve dispute
Jumping out of question time for a moment …
The ABC lodged an application with the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday for assistance to resolve bargaining, but a proposed meeting two hours before the strike was to start was rejected by the unions, ABC managing director Hugh Marks said.
double quotation markFWC responded quickly, proposing a meeting at 9am this morning. The ABC wants to start conciliation immediately to break this dispute. Disappointingly, both unions have said they are unavailable to meet with the FWC this week.
Marks expressed frustration with the bargaining process and claimed there was a lot of “misinformation” about the dispute.
double quotation markIn my view, to date the unions have grossly misrepresented our fair and reasonable offer to its members. And they have not provided me with any confidence that I can rely on what they say would result in a resolution. If we are to find a resolution, trust on both sides must be key.
ABC managing director Hugh Marks. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 00.33 EDT
Ryan asks government about 18 year old recommendation for innovation council
Back to the crossbench, Monique Ryan asks the government about the research development report released last week which recommended the establishment of a national innovation council. She says the recommendation is “spookily similar” to a 2008 report handed to the government which also recommends an innovation council. So will the government finally do it, she asks?
She doesn’t get a clear answer.
Chalmers says that the recommendations of the report are being considered.
double quotation markWe are working through the 20 recommendations. When it comes to the council, that the honourable member refers to, minister Ayres and the other place working with a number of colleagues is working out the best way forward there.
Independent MP Monique Ryan. Photograph: ParlViewShare
Updated at 00.01 EDT
Leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor, is up again
He asks the same question as his colleagues before him, probing the prime minister on when he will take action to get fuel to the almost 500 service stations that have “run dry”.
Anthony Albanese keeps the answer short, and says that the government has established a fuel supply taskforce, held a National Cabinet meeting, and is “engaging with state and territory governments who are responsible for distribution issues”.
Albanese says:
double quotation markRight across the country, we are engaging and having constructive conversations.
Updated at 00.00 EDT
Bob Katter has a question on existing Indigenous fuel reserves
The so-called “father of the house”, Bob Katter, who often lobs a curveball question at the government, is on theme today, and asks the treasurer about existing Indigenous fuel reserves that can be accessed without “tapping oil shafts”, using more ethanol in fuel, and why the government won’t recommission closed refineries.
Jim Chalmers says the government is working on a range of fronts to ensure fuel is reaching regional communities, and “making sure that we have the refining capacity that we need”.
On ethanol, Chalmers says that the government is investing in clean fuels.
double quotation markHe’s [Katter’s] right that we don’t have a mandate, but the relevant departments and authorities have been working to see whether we could implement one in the future, making sure that we factor in things like safety and quality and, again national parks’s all about supporting our local fuels industry.
Speaking of ethanol, Guardian Australia has confirmed ministers are considering increasing the amount of ethanol in fuel. You can read about that here.
Bob Katter in parliament in November. Photograph: Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 00.35 EDT
Melissa McIntosh gets kicked out of the chamber under 94a
Liberal MP Mary Aldred quotes NSW premier Chris Minns in her question, who said the states told the commonwealth that, “we need to make sure that if there’s going to be demand management measures that are put in place they need to be done on a national level.” Her question to Bowen is the same as Anne Webster and Angie Bell, asking when the minister will take action to ensure fuel gets to where it is needed.
Bowen congratulates Aldred for quoting Minns accurately, after he issued a correction to the chamber after question time yesterday, accusing fellow Liberal Melissa McIntosh for misquoting the NSW premier in her questions.
double quotation markI thank her [Aldred] for accurately quoting the Premier of New South Wales which is a big step forward after the member for Lindsay completely misquoted and misrepresented the Premier of New South Wales. She just dropped the word “if” which does a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence.
McIntosh isn’t happy with the drive by from Bowen, and gets up to make a point of order. But Milton Dick isn’t having the complaint, and says the opposition can’t just stand up when they don’t like an answer, and kicks her out.
Melissa McIntosh on 12 March. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 23.54 EDT
National cabinet to convene next week, prime minister says
Nationals MP, Anne Webster, follows Angie Bell, quoting Victoria’s premier, Jacinta Allen who said “any consideration of supply management should be coordinated at a national level,” and asks again, “when will the minister take action to ensure fuel gets to where it is needed?”
Anthony Albanese says there has been national coordination, including a meeting of national cabinet last week, and a fuel supply coordinator.
Albanese says there will be another meeting:
double quotation markI intend [on] convening again, the National Cabinet meeting will meet next week to further coordinate the activity that we are taking and indeed, coordinating that activity is important that we have national consistency.
Updated at 23.57 EDT