Press conference, Fairfield West, NSW

MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY, CHRIS BOWEN: Okay, thanks for coming everyone. Australia has 43 days worth of petrol, which is two days more than my update last week. We have 31 days worth of diesel, which is one day less than last week’s update, and we have 30 days worth of jet fuel, which is two days more than last week’s update.

We have 51 ships on the way to Australia with fuel, and we have 3.2 billion litres of various types of fuel locked in and contracted to be delivered over the next four weeks. So these are figures that are consistent with the updates I’ve been providing Australians every Saturday for the last six months. I think it gives Australians reassurance in a difficult period that we continue to have the fuel we need.

The situation internationally remains difficult. I was in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago, getting the latest on the situation from my Saudi Arabian counterpart. I met also with senior representatives of the Saudi Arabian Government this week at Pre-COP and obviously, we continue to see attacks in Saudi Arabia, but I do have confidence that the Saudi Arabian Government is taking steps to ensure that the fuel is flowing as well as it possibly can be.

So, we’ll continue the same approach that we’ve had all through this crisis, working closely with trading partners in South East Asia and beyond, including India and Saudi Arabia. Working very closely with our domestic refiners to ensure that they are working at full pelt, and I continue to be in very regular contact with the chief executives of Australia's domestic refiners.

And in the longer term, building Australia's sovereign capability. We had a very big budget allocation, we've had consultation papers out about implementing that, and I'll be saying more about that in coming weeks, about the next steps in building Australia's sovereign capability and sovereign reserves. The Albanese government is building a taxpayer-owned, Australian people-owned sovereign fuel reserve.

We're the only party with that policy, the Liberals oppose that. But that's appropriate going forward, and I’ll have more to say about the design and delivery of that in the next few weeks. Happy to take questions.

We'll go to the journalist here personally first and then I'll go- I've got two phones today, so I'll go to the different phones. So, journalist who’s here. JOURNALIST: What do you make of the reported deal between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to release Russian fuel [Indistinct] into the local markets?

Is this [Indistinct]…? MINISTER BOWEN: We don't need or want Russian fuel in Australia. We have the arrangements in place as best as we possibly can with our trading partners to ensure that Russian fuel doesn't flow to Australia.

That policy is not changing, will not change. We do not want Vladimir Putin to benefit from this war in the Middle East. What the United States does is a matter for them, but we won’t be changing our approach.

JOURNALIST: What might it mean for Australian [indistinct]? MINISTER BOWEN: Well, as I said, it doesn’t change our approach. We’ll continue to have the very, very firm view that Russia should not be rewarded for their illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine by any arrangements put in place as a result of the Middle East crisis.

But, as I said, policies for other countries are a matter for them. We have our policy, and it’s very clear. JOURNALIST: The Government is getting criticism this week from small businesses about [Indistinct] credit [Indistinct] how do you plan to rebuild the [Indistinct] relationship with that?

MINISTER BOWEN: So just a couple of points there. Firstly, Australians will be better off because of the eradication of surcharges for credit card use. I think almost every Australian uses credit cards every day, and we shouldn’t be charged for doing so.

And that’s appropriate. So more than $1 billion in savings there for Australians, everyday Australians going about their business. We’ve also seen changes to the interchange charges for small business.

So small business is getting charged less as well, that's a good thing. That's good for small business. And in relation to the tax office, while a number of- the number of small businesses who use credit cards to pay their tax is very low, I think it's 2 per cent based on what I've seen, it's appropriate that they be given a longer time period to adjust to these new arrangements, and I think that's what the Treasurer has put in place.

So, yes, I understand the different views about this, but ultimately Australians, including small businesses, are better off with a reduction in interchange fees, and in the eradication of surcharges. If the cost- if the advertisement says $5, it should be $5, not $5 plus. And it's about fairness and transparency as well.

JOURNALIST: [Inaudible question] CHRIS BOWEN: We're going to see a whole bunch of crazy over the next few days as the Liberal Party and the One Nation Party try to outdo each other on the race to the right and the race to the bottom at this conference. This is the first time a Liberal leader has addressed this extreme right-wing conference. It was too right wing for Peter Dutton to do.

Too right wing for the- all the previous Liberal leaders to do. It comes after the London equivalent where a whole bunch of One Nation and Liberals and Nationals MPs and Senators took themselves off to London, in a sitting week, two sitting weeks. Barnaby Joyce missed two sitting weeks of the Parliament to go to a London conservative conference to share these crazy ideas with each other.

So we're going to see a whole bunch of craziness as they try and outdo each other and I look forward to hearing from them how they've got an anti-worker agenda. Pauline Hanson and One Nation and Angus Taylor and the Liberals are united in opposing cost of living relief for Australians, and improvements to Australia's wages and working conditions. So let's hear about that.

And I see Pauline Hanson's going to say some things about net zero. No surprises there, Angus Taylor too. Well, why does Pauline Hanson, Let her explain this, why is she anti the rights of farmers to have wind farms and solar farms on their electric- on their farms?

And I see Barnaby Joyce confirmed that policy during the week. Now, we believe if a farmer wants to diversify their income by having renewable energy on their farm, they should have the right to do so. Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce have an anti-farmer policy, taking away the rights of farmers to have renewable energy projects on their farms.

We might go to the phone now. I might go to SBS first and then other journalists on the phone. JOURNALIST: Oh, hi.

Yeah, just back on the ATO credit card ban, I obviously understand you spoke about it being delayed, but obviously there's calls for Labor to scrap it altogether or even consider other arrangements when it comes to tackling the underlying issue. What is your response to this? Do you plan on scrapping this?

MINISTER BOWEN: I think a good balance has been struck here. I mean, as I said, 2 per cent of small businesses use credit cards to pay their annual tax or their tax payments through the year. It's appropriate, I think, that they be given longer, those 2 per cent of businesses be given longer to adjust.

But also, removing the surcharge on credit cards is good for all Australians, reducing the interchange fees for small business is good for small businesses. And nor should other taxpayers be subsidising surcharge payments to banks for the long period. So I think what's been stuck here is a reasonable and common sense way forward.

Other journalists on the phone? JOURNALIST: Minister, Tim Lester from Seven News. The- analysts, energy analysts have suggested to us that your trip to India was particularly interesting because if you were to open up diesel imports from India, that would be a major plus for our fuel security and with that, food security going forward.

Can you tell us anything about prospects that we might be looking at India as a source for diesel? MINISTER BOWEN: Well, India is a key friend and trading partner of Australia. You're right, Tim.

I was in India two weeks ago with fuel security as a focus of that visit. I was able to visit the largest refinery in the world at Jamnagar, which was very useful for Australia's ongoing fuel security. I also met with the chief executive of that refinery and talked about the trading relationship between Australia and Reliance, which is the very large fuel refining company in India.

We had a very, very fruitful and good discussion and we agreed to keep in contact, and to keep talking about the potential for Australia and India and Reliance in particular, that's the firm that owns the world's largest fuel refinery, to stay in close contact as this international fuel crisis continues. The worst energy crisis in our history. Now, I'm not making any particular announcements about that relationship at the moment other than we were in close contact when I was in India and we will remain in close contact.

JOURNALIST: But you would acknowledge that were a relationship to open up there, it could be quite profound for our fuel security? MINISTER BOWEN: Well, I mean, as I said, Tim, we have trading relationships across the board. South East Asia, we have relationships with Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, that are all important when it comes to our fuel imports.

India is a very important partner for Australia across the board. And as the host of the largest fuel refinery in the world, which I was able to visit and meet with senior management there and talk about the current situation, how they're dealing with it. They get oil from the Middle East as well.

India is not a big oil producer, but they are a big fuel refiner. So they rely on other countries for their oil imports. So that's worth keeping in mind, just as a footnote, Tim, to your question.

But they do refine a lot and it's very important that we, the Government, has that relationship with those large fuel refiners like Reliance which I've been able to build and will continue to be in discussions with them. JOURNALIST: Minister, it's Harnsle from Channel 10. Just back to CPAC, Pauline Hanson will be calling for a Royal Commission into net zero when what she described as dodgy deals with Chinese renewable firms.

What's your response? MINISTER BOWEN: Well, this is just Pauline Hanson’s continued climate change denial, and continued denial of the rights of Australians to the cheapest form of energy. And as I said, the rights of farmers to build renewable energy on their land where they choose to.

I mean, there's no wind farm or solar farm anywhere in Australia where the farmer hasn't wanted it on their farm. Now why does Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce think that farmers shouldn't have those rights, to put a solar farm on their farm and let it co-exist with sheep, or a wind farm on their farm and let it co-exist with their cattle? We think farmers have those rights, should have those rights.

Barnaby Joyce and Pauline Hanson will rip them away. So this is a debate which will go right up to the next election. One I welcome, one I will participate in, but I won’t be attending any sort of extreme right-wing conferences.

I’ll leave that to the Liberal Party and the National Party as they fight this never-ending battle to the bottom and to the right. JOURNALIST: Hi Minister, it’s Amalee from Channel 9 here. Just on a different topic, the Prime Minister’s done a new social media video that’s doing the rounds this morning.

If you’ve seen it, can I ask what you thought of it? If you thought it was funny, and then… MINISTER BOWEN: Which one is that Amalee? Sorry?

Which one are you referring to? JOURNALIST: There’s one he’s done with a comedy group called Swag, around meeting the daughter. Have you seen that one?

MINISTER BOWEN: I did actually see it on Instagram last night, so I have seen it, and I did think it was pretty funny, yes. JOURNALIST: And, I guess, can I ask you, why are politicians- why are we seeing politicians across the board do videos like this to try and reach voters? Why would the Prime Minister, I guess, do something like this from that perspective?

MINISTER BOWEN: Well, I think it’s part of talking to Australians where they are. You know, plenty of Australians are on various forms of social media. It’s not only an opportunity for members of Parliament to talk to Australians, it’s also an obligation to talk to Australians in a way which communicates who we are, what we believe, and sometimes that will be lighter hearted than others.

You know, there are very serious podcasts out there which I do, and very serious social media posts. And sometimes there’s a lighter approach. I think that’s fair enough.

I think Australian politicians talking to people, engaging with social media, whether it be a comedian or a very serious commentator from time to time is part of the world in 2026. Obviously, we’re available to you in the traditional media. Here I am every Saturday holding this press conference, as I have done for the last six months and will do for as long as the international energy crisis continues to provide Australians with those factual updates.

But from time to time, there’ll be a lighter hearted approach as well. JOURNALIST: Hi Minister, I’ve got one please. It’s Britt Busch from The Herald.

Just on the Trump-Russia oil deal, you’ve said that it’s a matter for the US, but how comfortable are you that a key ally is facilitating this deal with Putin, in opposition to Australia’s position, and is Australia making any appeal to the US on the issue? MINISTER BOWEN: Each country will set their own policies. Australia is sovereign, the United States is sovereign.

We’ll set our policies, they set theirs. This is not a policy we are implementing, it’s not a policy we will implement. It’s not one we need, it’s not one we want.

From Australia’s point of view, we don’t want Russian fuel in Australia. Our position about the Putin regime’s immoral and illegal approach has been crystal clear. We stand with the people of Ukraine, we stand with freedom in Ukraine and the right to the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian nation.

That is the Australian Government’s position, that won’t change. What other countries do is a matter for them. JOURNALIST: MINISTER BOWEN: Any other questions?

Sounds like a wrap. 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.