QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
Mr BOWEN (McMahon—Minister for Climate Change and Energy) (15:26): The government's plan is to work to increase the fuel supply in Australia by releasing 20 per cent of the minimum stock obligation, which we have done. We have done so on the condition from the minimum stock entities that they see that fuel flowing to regional Australia. That has been entered into and has been implemented.
I also announced a temporary relaxation of the rules for sulphur for petrol, which will see an extra 100 million litres of fuel be supplied to the system each month. In addition, the Prime Minister has convened National Cabinet, I've convened energy ministers, and we have agreed to keep working together on contingency plans. We will work every day with refiners and with suppliers to ensure that that fuel flows to where there are real shortages as a result of the increases in demand that we have seen across Australia.
Mr Taylor interjecting— Mr BOWEN: The Leader of the Opposition interjected, which I'll take. He said, 'It's only increases in demand.' If the Leader of the Opposition could point to one ship that hasn't arrived or one refinery that isn't working— Opposition members interjecting— Mr BOWEN: As the government has made clear on multiple occasions, every ship that has been expected has arrived.
We have very transparently said that there have been cancellations in April. The Leader of the Opposition is the one who has misled people and said that we are stopping exports from Australia, which is not true. The SPEAKER: The manager on a point of order?
Mr Tehan: It goes to direct relevance. The question wasn't about the Leader of the Opposition; it was about your— The SPEAKER: Resume your seat. Opposition members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order!
The manager has made his point of order. He was correct. The minister wasn't asked about the Leader of the Opposition, but if the Leader of the Opposition interjects and— Government members interjecting— The SPEAKER: Order!
Members on my right! To make sure the minister's not talking about the opposition, I would suggest no-one from the opposition interjects so he doesn't take the interjection. Mr BOWEN: The government will work with anyone of goodwill, as we have done across the board.
We have not heard a single constructive suggestion from the opposition—not a single one. There's been plenty of sledging and no solutions. There have been plenty of insults but no ideas.
All we have seen is politics and negativity. I'm asked about fuel shortages. The SPEAKER: The manager's taken a point of order on relevance.
He won't be able to do it again. Mr Tehan: The minister is defying your ruling. The SPEAKER: Resume your seat.
He was just in mid-sentence saying that he was asked about fuel shortages and the plan, and he's talking about that. You missed the boat there. Mr BOWEN: I was asked about fuel shortage.
To give credit where it's due—nobody in the leadership group—some Liberal Party and National Party members have been to see me to talk to me about issues in their electorates, in good faith, and they would concede that we have worked well together. We have worked well together to do that. I'll continue to do that.
But the leadership of the Liberal Party has chosen partisanship, not patriotism, and they should hang their heads in shame.