Press conference, Fairfield West, New South Wales

CHRIS BOWEN, MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY: Thanks for coming out this morning. I’m very pleased to let Australians know that the situation continues to be that Australia has more fuel today, across all three major fuel types, than we did on the day Iran was bombed. I’m also pleased to say, now that May is complete, that I can tell the Australian people that, while we have an average arrival number of ships of 81, over the course of May we had 92 ships arrive with fuel in Australia.

So Australia is doing very, very well in the face of the ongoing tension and challenges that every country in the world is facing with fuel supply. Australia currently has 43 days’ worth of petrol, 36 days’ worth of diesel, and 30 days’ worth of jet fuel. As I said, all three levels are more than on the 28th of February, when Iran was first bombed.

We have 50 ships on the water, on the way to Australia. This is pretty much in keeping with every update I’ve given now for several months. It’s roughly been between 46 and 53 ships or so on the way to Australia, and that is very much the case today.

We also have 3.5 billion litres of fuel locked in, contracted to be delivered over the next four weeks. That consists of 1.8 billion litres of diesel, 512 million litres of petrol, 468 million litres of jet fuel, and 709 million litres of crude oil. This is all, again, pretty consistent.

Some are slightly up, some are slightly down, but pretty consistent with every weekly update. So we know the situation, that the Government and industry working closely together has seen us through this crisis internationally. We also have the situation now that we can say fuel is secure through June and July, and now well into August as well.

Against the Opposition saying that there would be severe shortages in April, and then changing it to June, and then completely just continuing to scaremonger in the Australian community. On the contrary, the Government has been working carefully with industry, providing factual, clear updates to the Australian people each and every week, while the Opposition just continues to engage in scaremongering and cheap politics.

That’s the contrast of approach. The Government will keep our approach, and I’ll give a further update next Saturday. Happy to take questions.

I might go to journalists here in person and then onto the phone. Harry? JOURNALIST: Just on fuel, we heard in Senate Estimates recently that some EV charging stations are being backed up by a diesel generator.

What do you make about a green energy initiative being powered by fossil fuel? CHRIS BOWEN: Well, let’s go through the facts, Harry, rather than the disinformation that Dan Tehan seems to be addicted to spreading in his story today. We are rolling out EV chargers across the country, and again, I welcome the Liberal Party again confirming and showing people they’re out of touch with Australians taking up EVs at record numbers.

Thirty per cent in May, EV or plug-in hybrid. But in relation to charging, we have a program, part of Driving the Nation, to put charging, once every 150 kilometres on the national highway network. Now, most of those are just connected to the electricity grid.

Some, as you’d understand, are not connected to the electricity grid because they’re very remote. They’re backed up by solar panels and batteries, and in a small number of instances, with a diesel generator backup for the worst situation if there’s not enough solar or battery. Imagine if we didn’t do that.

Imagine what the Opposition would say if we were exposing people if they turned up in a very remote location and the battery had run out of charge. Now, in the vast, vast majority of cases, it will be run off solar and then a battery. In the very, very small number of cases, there’s a diesel backup just in case, to give Australians that extra bit of reassurance.

Is that a bad thing or a good thing? Mr Tehan thinks it’s a bad thing. I think it’s a good thing.

And, by the way, a memo for Mr Tehan: all the evidence shows us an electric car, even when it’s powered from fossil fuels, is much better for the climate than an internal combustion engine. So you see this sort of disinformation on the internet all the time. The Liberal Party needs to grow up.

And I’d like to know, what’s Mr Tehan’s policy when it comes to charging? Okay, I might go to Emily on the phone. JOURNALIST: Thanks, Minister.

Just a question on Queensland’s disaster funding. Why has the Government moved to lower its share from that 65 to 50-50 for Queensland? Their argument is that they’re more disaster prone than other states, so why has this arrangement now changed?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, we’re developing a new model that will be consistent in part across every state. And I think Australians know that when there’s a natural disaster, the Albanese Government steps up every single time, as we will continue to do. But Commonwealth and states do need to work together.

Fifty-fifty is a good arrangement. I think that is a fair arrangement. Minister McBain will continue to work through the details with the states, but the Commonwealth will always step up when there’s a natural disaster, and 50-50 is pretty fair.

JOURNALIST: In your portfolio, you would know, with climate change, that natural disasters are becoming worse and more frequent. Queensland is particularly susceptible to that. Is there any sort of contingency or ways in which they might need to get more funding down the track?

CHRIS BOWEN: Well, every state and territory is exposed to impacts of climate change. Not just Queensland, with the greatest of respect, every state and territory. So we’ll work consistently across the board with every state and territory.

Every community is subject to increasing natural disasters. Again, Minister McBain will work with her state and territory colleagues, but 50-50 is a fair basis. JOURNALIST: Are you aware of that extra 15 per cent being directed anywhere else in particular that you know of?

CHRIS BOWEN: I’ll leave that to Minister McBain to provide any further information on that. JOURNALIST: No worries, thanks. And just one on fuel excise as well that’s due to end on June 30.

Is the Government preparing if there is another price spike? Obviously we know there’s still volatility and with the conflict to end, is the Government preparing for potentially to bring that back in if there’s another price spike? CHRIS BOWEN: The situation remains exactly as the Prime Minister and the Treasurer and I have said over recent weeks.

The plan is for the excise to be returned on schedule on that date. But of course, we’ll continue to monitor the situation, and we’ll always act in the best interests of Australians, based on the evidence before us. Okay, that’s a wrap.

See you next Saturday. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.