Addressing parliament today, the prime minister expressed his desire to be transparent with Australians regarding upcoming challenges.
“The conflict in the Middle East has triggered an unprecedented spike in global fuel prices,” stated Albanese.
“Australians are experiencing the effects throughout the economy. I recognize the hardships people are facing, which is why we have taken action to make a meaningful impact.”
“We are prepared for future challenges by planning, preparing, and implementing necessary procedures,” he added.
“No government can completely shield against global pressures; that is the reality. However, we will persist in acting in the national interest, enhancing our economic resilience, and ensuring that short-term strategies also equip us for the long term.”
It is anticipated that Albanese will soon detail Australia’s strategy in response to the conflict and explain how ordinary Australians can contribute as it continues to affect fuel availability.
The special address will begin at 7pm AEDT and will be broadcast across all TV and radio networks simultaneously. You can also watch it at the top of this page and at 9news.com.au.
The address will be a chance for the prime minister to lay out the petrol plan and ease concerns about the Middle East, Nine’s chief political editor Charles Croucher said.
“We don’t see a lot of these addresses, it’s usually in times of national tragedies, national events,” Croucher said.
“I think all the way back to Robert Menzies announcing it was his melancholy duty to inform Australia that we were at war in World War II.”
Croucher said the timing of this national address is important.
This is the last opportunity for Albanese to address Australia before the Easter break and, in many states, school holidays.
“The next two weeks should also see the [Middle East] conflict end, according to President Trump, and it will see a pinch point for the pressure on [oil] supply,” Croucher said.
He doubts Albanese will make any major announcements, such as fuel rationing, and said it’s more likely the prime minister will share a plan for the nation moving forward.
The last time a prime minister gave a nation address of this scale was during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Scott Morrison spoke to the people of Australia on the evening of Thursday, March 12 as borders slammed shut and the country went into the first of many lockdowns.
He outlined government plans to manage the impacts of the virus and reassured Aussies that “we are well prepared and are well equipped to deal with it”.
About 12 years prior, Kevin Rudd addressed the nation regarding the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008.
“I have absolute confidence that as a nation, we will get through these tough times together,” he concluded his address.
Tonight, Albanese will deliver his own national address while across the globe, US President Donald Trump prepares to do the same.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed today that he will “provide an important update on Iran” at 9pm on Wednesday local time (midday Thursday in Australia).
Leavitt’s announcement came just hours after Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that US forces could leave Iran in “two or three weeks”.
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