Consumer advocacy groups are urging gas stations to immediately implement the recent fuel excise reductions, while the opposition leader calls for more openness regarding the ongoing fuel dilemma.
Angus Taylor, the Liberal leader, criticized Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s national broadcast but responded with his own brief statement on Thursday evening.
Taylor claimed responsibility for pushing the government to enact a temporary cut to the fuel excise from 26.3 cents, a decision made on Monday amid the escalating Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The government has only managed to spread confusion, although it deserves recognition for eventually implementing the coalition’s proposal to reduce the fuel tax,” Taylor remarked.
“In times of crisis, Australians need a government that is transparent and keeps them informed with daily updates.”
“The upcoming budget must not only address the current crisis but also pave the way for our nation’s future,” he added.
Before Taylor’s statement, Albanese also announced a further 5.7 cent-per-litre reduction off their fuel, which will last until June 30.
Fuel prices have already started to fall after the initial cut went into effect on Wednesday.
As of 8am AEDT on Thursday, data from FuelWatch Australia showed average unleaded 91 prices were 21c cheaper in Sydney and 24c cheaper in Melbourne than they were on Tuesday.
Diesel prices were 16 cents cheaper in Sydney and 25 cents cheaper in Melbourne.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a warning to fuel retailers not to delay passing on the excise cuts.
“We are concerned that pricing changes may be used to obfuscate a failure by retailers to fully pass on the reduction in the excise and, if that is the case, we will take appropriate enforcement action,” watchdog chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.
The watchdog said legal notices had been sent to some distributors, asking them to stack up their reasons for imposing fuel surcharges in some locations.
Before Taylor’s address, the opposition leader criticised Albanese’s and said it “could have been a social media post”.
Albanese defended his decision to call for calm in a fuel crisis in a televised national address, saying he wanted to speak to Australians directly to combat misinformation.
In the speech, the prime minister warned there might be difficult times ahead and urged people to go about their Easter long weekend as normal.
He urged people to consider getting public transport instead of driving and told motorists heading on road trips over Easter to take only as much fuel as they needed.
In a National Press Club speech that followed, Albanese said he chose to broadcast the address to curb misinformation online.
“People … used to get their information from Seven or Nine or ABC or Ten or SBS … and there would be a consistency about it,” he said.
“Now they’re getting it on their device — it’s telling them all sorts of things that aren’t true.”
He said he understood Australians’ fears when they heard about the economic impacts of the fuel crisis, but reassured the response would not be reminiscent of stringent COVID lockdowns.
He also announced a $1 billion fund to help businesses affected by the conflict, and said the money would be dispersed through interest-free loans.
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