Press conference, Fairfield West, NSW

MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY, CHRIS BOWEN: Well, it's Saturday everyone, so it is time for our weekly fuel update as I've done pretty much for the last six months, to give Australians information they need in the midst of this international fuel crisis. And so today, Australia has 41* days worth of petrol, which is up two days on last week's report. 33 days worth of diesel, which is down three days on last week's report, but more than we had when this crisis began.

And then also 33 days worth of jet fuel which is two days more than last week’s update, and also of course more than when the crisis began. We have 36 ships on the water, on the way to Australia, and 3.5 billion litres of fuel locked in to be delivered over the next four weeks, which is 300 million litres more than last week’s report. So, the situation remains that despite all the challenges internationally, our fuel security remains very strong.

Government and industry remain very focused and working together for as long as this international crisis continues to ensure that Australians have the fuel they need. And we are very confident that we’re able to do that, and the work will continue. Also in the meantime we've been helping Australians make the choices they want to make to better prepare for the future, and yesterday we saw the release of the figures showing more EVs sold in August than petrol cars for the first time in Australian history.

Now that is Australians taking up the increased choice as a result of the new vehicle efficiency standards. All you've got to do is look on any street in Australia, you see so many more models of EVs available. That's because the new vehicle efficiency standards that were brought into place by the Albanese Government are requiring car companies to send us better, cheaper to run cars for the first time.

We were the only country, major country, outside Russia without these standards. The Albanese Government fixed it, and of course the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation would reverse it. They would rip up the new efficiency standards, which would say those choices removed from Australians.

So we'll keep going with our efforts to ensure fuel security in the short term, and help Australians make the choices they want to make in the longer term when it comes to their own transport. Happy to take questions on those issues and other issues. I think all our questions today are on the phone, so straight to journalists on the phone.

JOURNALIST: Thank you, Minister, it's Amalee from Nine here. Just a question on another issue, there's a story in the SMH today that says your Government will be introducing the digital duty of care next week. Can you confirm that, and then also what’s your message to the Coalition and One Nation who warn it could be government overreach and impede on free speech?

MINISTER BOWEN: Look, I won't confirm decisions to be made in coming days and weeks, but I will say it's very clear we've said publicly that this is on our agenda. And Anika Wells has been working through, very carefully, the options, and she will make, with the Prime Minister, further announcements in due course. But I will say this, we have a problem.

And that problem is very much driven by social media. Now sexual assaults are way up, they're way up for young men. And we have a problem of algorithms driving people to more and more extreme content, and we want to give Australians a chance to deal with that.

Our social media reforms for under-16s are world leading. I mean, double-digit countries have now copied these reforms and they were very controversial when they were introduced. And this is a sort of example of what you can do when you take the time to get policy right, and to give Australians more control over their social media.

Now, the Liberals and Nationals and One Nation have said they're against this before they even see it. Now, they can reach their own view when we put out what we're going to put out and work through it and they can respond. That’s fair enough.

But to say you're against it before you've even seen it, I think is a pretty dramatically disappointing approach on behalf of Coalition of the Liberals, National and One Nation. JOURNALIST: Just on the social media ban, do you think the eSafety Commissioner has enough powers as it is to enforce it? And do you think the powers that it- the extension that's currently in the senate will be enough to do so?

MINISTER BOWEN: Yeah, I think the package before the Senate is an important, one, and in our judgement it gives the eSafety Commissioner the powers she needs. JOURNALIST: MINISTER BOWEN: JOURNALIST: Minister, Tim Lester here from Seven. The surge in purchases of electric cars is a success at many levels.

But some say it’s also dramatically increasing the problem of exposure to security risks from China, that the cars, all of them, represent a risk in terms of listening devices and ultimate Chinese control over the technology. What do you say about that, and what action might there be from the government down the track to protect Australia through that threat?

MINISTER BOWEN: Yeah, let me just say a couple of things Tim. I think Australians can make a choice about what cars they drive, and how they deal with their car. I make that first point.

Second point is that increasingly cars today are connected to the internet. And that is not a matter of what the engine is powered by. I mean, that is the case for petrol cars too, new petrol cars as well.

Basically every new car has an iPad in the middle of the dashboard, and that's connected the internet. And that doesn't really matter what the drivetrain is, whether it's electric, hybrid, or diesel, or petrol, that's the case. And so I think it's important not to conflate the two issues.

Now of course the government will always monitor the situation and take any appropriate steps, but Australians ultimately can make their own- do their own research and make their own choices, and they're making every day. JOURNALIST: One more, if I might, Minister. There are some indications out of South Korea that it might now contribute to some sort of military mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

South Korea is a strong ally of ours, and perhaps an indicator of potential thinking in Australia, or isn’t it? What might we do and what won't we do in terms of helping with the strait if a mission does come into play? MINISTER BOWEN: I think the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have been crystal clear since this international situation began.

This is not a course of action that Australia was consulted on. It's not a course of action that we intend to be involved in. JOURNALIST: Hi Minister, it's Jack here from the ABC.

There's a new report out today from realestate.com.au that suggests housing affordability is at its lowest rate on record, and it suggests that interest rates are playing a significant role in that. Does the Government hold any concerns that those high-interest rates are pushing first home buyers and prospective buyers out of the market? MINISTER BOWEN: Thanks for the question.

Two things. Firstly, interest rates are a matter for the independent Reserve Bank and no government minister ever comments on what the Reserve Bank should or shouldn't be doing. Secondly, I do think, though, your question underlines a broader problem of housing affordability in Australia, which is why we're acting.

Now, here's the problem. House prices in Australia have gone up 400 per cent, 400 per cent since the year 2000. How are young people meant to get into the housing market if that keeps going?

That's why we're acting. That's why we're making big, controversial changes to the tax treatment of housing to try and give young people in particular, or first-time buyers, but young people in particular, a shot. You can't get a shot if house prices continue to go up by 400 per cent.

So we're making those changes. Now, the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation say everything's fine. Nothing to see here, everything's fine, don't change anything.

We're perfectly happy with a 400 per cent increase and for that to keep going. Well, we have a different view. We think home ownership is, famously, the great Australian dream.

But it's a dream which is out of reach so many young Australians, and that should change. JOURNALIST: And there’s, in recent times, in recent months we've seen a softening in prices. To what extent do you attribute that to the recent changes in the Budget, the tax changes?

MINISTER BOWEN: Look, you're always going to see housing prices move around for a whole bunch of reasons. A whole bunch of reasons. The Treasury modelling shows a reduction in the rate of increase in housing prices as a result of our reforms, but our reforms are just one of the factors that goes into housing prices right across the country at any given time.

JOURNALIST: Minister, this is Nick Newling from the Sydney Morning Herald. We've seen earlier this week Pauline Hanson make claims of incitements of violence against her from the PM. I've spoken this week to a number of MPs who say that violence has spiked against them because of Pauline Hanson's social media accounts.

You're obviously a target of a lot of her ire. Have you yourself noticed increased incidents of violence or threats of violence against you that are directly linked to Pauline Hanson? MINISTER BOWEN: I'm not going to comment about my own personal security arrangements.

The Australian Federal Police has measures in place in relation to those, and they are very active but I don't comment on them. But I will say this, I've seen that commentary from Pauline Hanson this week. Let me remind Pauline Hanson of a couple of things.

Barnaby Joyce stood at a rally in Wollongong and told people to make their ballot papers bullets and to send them my way. This week, Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce were nailing a coffin with the words net zero on it. Is that calm political discussion?

Or is that something which is designed to increase tensions in the community? I'll tell you what it is, it's the latter. So if Pauline Hanson wants to call for the debate to be calmed down, fine, but she can start with it herself.

And she could encourage her followers to engage in respectful debate online and elsewhere. Instead of, you know, you see calls for treason and people to be locked up, all stuff which is not Australian. I can participate in the political debate as robustly as the next guy.

I think people know that. But there's a line, and Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce are regularly across it. And when Barnaby Joyce stands at a rally and says, send your bullets to Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen and other Labor MPs, and then he says, well, I mean ballot papers.

That is not, that is not, calming debate down. So, frankly, Pauline Hanson's complaints have been utterly hypocritical when you look at the sort of rhetoric that One Nation engages in on, not a one-off, not every so often, a daily basis. Any other questions?

JOURNALIST: JOURNALIST: Thank you Minister. MINISTER BOWEN: Okay, thanks very much guys. Good on you.

Thanks for coming out, cheers. (*correction: 43 days of petrol) 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.