8m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 4:23am
📷 Today’s Question Time in pictures
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
13m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 4:19am
That’s all for QT today
And that’s the end of today’s Question Time!
As expected, the main story of today’s session was about fuel.
Stick around, though, because we’ve got more content on the way.
16m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 4:15am
Marles says ADF training unaffected, but international travel is being cut back
Richard Marles has given parliament an assurance that the Australian Defence Force is so far unaffected by concerns over fuel supply.
The navy is in the midst of Exercise Kakadu, a massive joint exercise involving 19 countries up and down the east coast of Australia.
Marles told parliament that any suggestions that fuel concerns were cutting back training exercises in the ADF were untrue.
“The Australian Defence Force is training as it always has,” he said.
“(Exercise Kakadu) is absolutely in full swing.”
But there are some changes underway within Defence in response to global fuel concerns.
A defence spokesperson confirmed to the ABC that the organisation is trying to cut back its international travel due to rising prices.
“Due to the ongoing impact on travel costs, where possible, Defence personnel have been asked to consider postponing official international travel,” they said.
“The situation is being continuously monitored, and any changes will be communicated to Defence personnel.
“The Australian Defence Force has established fuel supplies, supported by reliable arrangements and contingency reserves.”
18m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 4:14am
PM offers to personally call farmer struggling to secure fuel supply
Liberal MP Tom Venning tells the chamber about Josh, a farmer in his electorate, who has texted to say he’s currently waiting on fuel and is worried about securing supply.
“Will the PM be up front with the Australian people and inform them of how many service stations are out of fuel?” he asks.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he’s willing to talk to Josh directly if Venning is willing to pass on his phone number.
“We’ve worked constructively on supply with states and territories where we work constructively with the industry,” he says.
Manager of Opposition Business Dan Tehan calls for the PM to directly answer the question about the number of service stations that are out of fuel. Speaker Milton Dick reiterates he can’t compel Albanese to answer in such a manner.
Albanese continues, saying the government is working to secure supply.
24m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 4:07am
Sharkie questions aged care minister on appeals
Mayo MPÂ Rebekha Sharkie has asked the aged care minister about reviews of appeals for aged care home packages.
She says Senate estimates has found that between November 1, 2025 and January 23, 2026, just two of the 414 of the appeals for home care package support had been reviewed.
Aged Care Minister Sam Rae says all assessments are completed using the integrated assessment tool to ensure that it is “efficient, accurate and fair”.
“Since November, we’ve completed 180,000 assessments. In terms of the review process, which is in place, there’s been requests for review of less than half a per cent of those,” Rae says.
“Under the old system, people were in some cases being left to wait for up to ten months in order to get their assessment completed,” he says.
31m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 4:01am
Albanese defends action on fuel supplies as Coalition ramps up criticism of his leadership
Liberal MP Mary Aldred is up next, making reference to a statement from Ageing Australia that people are not taking up shifts due to the fuel crisis.
“Why is the prime minister always the last to lead in a national crisis?” she asks.
Anthony Albanese uses it as a chance to outline the measures the government has taken in recent weeks, such as today’s national cabinet agreement on the national fuel security plan and a cut to the fuel excise.
“We’ve engaged with international partners to keep supplies flowing, including the joint statement I made with Singapore. But we’ve also engaged with leaders in Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, China, all of our international partners,” he says.
The PM says he can’t just “wish away” the impact of the Iran war.
“We’ve continued to act each and every day,” he says.
39m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:52am
Treasurer defers responsibility of housing tax concession changes to cabinet
Mackellar MP Sophie Scamps has asked whether the government will reform housing tax concessions to address “worsening intergenerational inequity”.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the federal government hasn’t changed its policy or position on matters of housing tax concessions.
Chalmers says the government does recognise there are intergenerational issues in the economy, society and tax system.
The treasurer has deferred any changes to concessions or tax settings to cabinet.
“I agree with the honourable member who identifies housing and tax as two of the most important areas where those intergenerational issues are most easily observed,” Chalmers says.
“When it comes to further steps in tax policy or housing policy, the budget is still a little way away yet, and any further changes would be a matter for cabinet,” he says.
47m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:45am
PM gives Joyce credit for being ‘constructive’ amid crisis
Nationals deputy Darren Chester is up next, armed with a question about farmers’ access to fuel.
“Why is the prime minister always the last to lead in a national crisis?” he asks.
Anthony Albanese begins by outlining the national fuel security plan as agreed to by national cabinet this morning.
He continues:
“The decision that we made on Saturday, which will allow for the purchase of additional fuels — and included in that as well … allows for the purchase potentially of fertilizer — should it be available anywhere and making sure that private sector operators can invest over the odds effectively of what they would have before this war began on the international market,” he says.
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
He also “gives credit” to Barnaby Joyce, who the PM says has been working “constructively” on the issue.
“We had engagement on Saturday as well about actually coming up with solutions,” Albanese says.
“My door is open, and my phone is on for people who actually want to be constructive.”
55m agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:37am
PM acknowledges anxiety in regional Australia about fuel supplies
Nationals MP Andrew Willcox says a kidney support network in Mackay has been forced to pause operations because of the fuel crisis.
He’s asked the prime minister why he is “always last to lead in a national crisis”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he understands that people are doing it tough and that it’s causing some anxiety in the community.
He says Australians who can take public transport to work should consider it if it is convenient for them.
“If you go to a petrol station and you can’t fill up, it makes you anxious. And we rely upon, in a country like ours, so much, our motor vehicles to get around,” Albanese says.
“Which is why we’re saying in the fuel security plan, for example, if you can get to work on a train or a bus, and that’s convenient, and therefore leave more fuel around, then that’s a good thing,” he says.
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:30am
Coalition zeroes in on fuel supply
We’re back to fuel supply. Liberal MP Simon Kennedy asks the prime minister to confirm whether 10 per cent of service stations in NSW currently have no diesel.
Anthony Albanese is also asked to outline how many service stations across Australia are currently without fuel.
The prime minister acknowledges there are shortages across the country and begins to outline the measures the government has taken since the fuel crisis began, such as changing dual standards and fast-tracking legislation to help shore up supply.
Manager of Opposition Business Dan Tehan raises a point of order, urging the speaker to get the PM to answer the question.
Milton Dick says he can’t compel the PM to answer exactly the way the Coalition wants him to.
“I was asked about supply, and that’s what I’m talking about,” he says.
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:24amChalmers signs letter calling for fuel excise cut to be passed onto consumers
Kooyong MP Monique Ryan has asked the treasurer how (in light of the government’s announcement that it’s cutting the fuel excise) drivers can be sure retailers will cut petrol prices.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government has increased the powers of the consumer watchdog so they can “come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who is doing the wrong thing”.
He lists off some of the measures the government has taken, including increasing penalties for price gouging.
“We’re coming after the sources of some of that gouging that the member is right to be concerned about,” Chalmers says.
Chalmers says he’s just signed a letter to ensure that any changes to the fuel excise are passed onto consumers when it comes into effect on Wednesday.
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:20am
An update on the Australia’s fuel reserves
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has also provided an update on Australia’s fuel reserves.
As of today we have:
39 days worth of petrol,30 days of diesel,30 days of jet fuel.
He adds that refiners and importers are delivering fuel to regional Australia at “record levels”.
“Viva, for example, which is the refinery in Geelong, has advised me that their deliveries to regional Australia in the last week are 55 per cent higher than normal.”
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:17amChalmers dodges questions on how fuel excise cut will be offset
Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson is up next, again asking about the fuel excise and if it is offset.
He gets a good laugh from Labor MPs when he declares the government had “followed” the Coalition on halving the fuel excise.
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
Of course, because of the way the question was worded, it’s invited a comparison between the government’s approach and the opposition’s.
So naturally, Treasurer Jim Chalmers uses that as an opening and doesn’t say how exactly the government is offsetting the temporary cut to the fuel excise.
“The key difference is that we are providing more relief now,” he says, saying the government had also added a cut to the heavy vehicle road user charge.
Manage of Opposition Business Dan Tehan tries to say Chalmers wasn’t answering the question. Leader of the House Tony Burke argues the Coalition’s question opened it up to the treasurer’s response.Â
Speaker Milton Dick agrees. We continue on.
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 3:08am
Albanese defends response to fuel crisis
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is up with the first question of the day, asking why the prime minister is “always the last to lead in a national crisis”.
Taylor has criticised Anthony Albanese for not moving to cut the fuel excise when the Coalition called for it last Friday.
Albanese has started his response to Taylor’s question with a bit of a swipe at the Liberal leader, saying “I thank the latest leader of the opposition for his question”.
The prime minister says the government has moved to take “orderly” and “coherent” actions under the current circumstances.
“What leadership is about is responding in a coherent, strategic, orderly way,” Albanese says.
“And that is precisely what we have done, working with industry, working with state and territory governments, working through all of the issues, concentrating on the first issue, which is supply, making sure that we work with our international partners in the region,” he says.
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 2:58am
Need some light afternoon reading?
As promised, here’s the link to the national fuel security plan, as agreed to by national cabinet this morning.
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 2:57am
🚨Question Time is nearly here 🚨
And it’s nearly that time of the day again, folks! Question Time in the House of Representatives is just around the corner now. Not long to go!
Any guesses about what the government will be asked in today’s questions without notice in the lower house today?
The only sure way to find out is to stick around right here on the federal politics blog! We’ll have you covered!
1h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 2:36am
What did we learn from the PM’s press conference?Motorists will save 26 cents a litre at the bowser over the next three months after the government agreed to halve the fuel excise. The heavy-vehicle road user charge will drop to zero over the same three months. Both measures will start on Wednesday, April 1. Together they will cost the budget bottom line $2.5 billion. Treasurer Jim Chalmers declined to say how he intends to offset the cost. National cabinet also agreed to adopt a fuel security plan.It has four phases. Australia is at the second stage (keeping Australia moving). Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wouldn’t outline what would trigger a move into phase three (taking targeted action), saying it would be a decision of the national cabinet. Albanese also declared he wanted more “certainty” from the US on its objectives in the Iran war and called for a de-escalation in tensions.Â
Don’t have time to scroll back through the blog? The wonderful Holly Tregenza has you covered.
2h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 2:30amPM urges service stations to ‘do the right thing’
(ABC News: Callum Flinn)
Anthony Albanese is asked what his message is to service stations that might consider using the halving of the fuel excise to increase profits.
“My message is simple: you need to do the right thing and not just on a voluntary basis. The ACCC will make sure that happens,” the prime minister says.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers also warns the consumer watchdog will “come down on you like a ton of bricks”.
“That’s as it should be,” he says.
And that’s where we’ll leave the prime minister’s press conference.
2h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 2:30am
PM says government won’t repeat what the country went through with COVID
The energy minister has been asked if fuel rationing is on the cards if Australians don’t heed advice about purchasing fuel wisely.
The same journalist has also asked the PMÂ whether there is a world in which Australia would commit military forces to Iran.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he’s been very clear that people should be buying as much fuel as they need.
He says the government is prioritising fuel for regional areas and farmers.
“We are seeing very big increases in fuel deliveries to the regions at the moment, at the moment focusing on farmers,” Bowen says.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese chimes in, saying the government won’t repeat what the country went through during the COVID pandemic.
On Iran, the PM says change doesn’t occur with external pressure from foreign powers.
“It doesn’t change the fact that we completely stand with the people of Iran, many of whom, of course, bravely went out there and demonstrated for human rights and for change in their nation,” he says.
2h agoMon 30 Mar 2026 at 2:24am
Should Australia increase the volume of fuel it keeps in reserve?
Anthony Albanese is asked whether Australia should consider increasing fuel storage capacity.
Australia held about 36–38 days of petrol, 31–34 days of diesel, and 29–32 days of jet fuel in reserves prior to the start of the crisis.
The prime minister says Australia being more self-reliant was a lesson learned during the pandemic.
“That’s why we need to make more things here across the board. That’s why we have the largest storage of fuel that we’ve had in 15 years,” he says.