Portfolio — 30 March 2026

30 March marks a significant escalation in the government's legislative and intergovernmental response to the fuel supply disruption flowing from the Middle East conflict, with Senator Gallagher, as Minister for Finance and Manager of Government Business in the Senate, driving both the substantive and procedural dimensions of the day's Senate business.

The centrepiece announcement is a three-month cut to fuel excise by half and reduction of the heavy vehicle road user charge to zero — a direct consumer and industry relief measure supported by three new bills introduced to the Senate [TA-260330-senate-291b26a05373:s191] [TA-260330-senate-291b26a05373:s192]. The legislative package includes amendments enabling Export Finance Australia to source overseas cargo, measures through the EFIC Act to scale domestic production and distribution alongside overseas sourcing, and a $2 billion increase to the advance to the Finance Minister for fuel security response measures and related expenditure.

The advance bill directly implicates the Minister's own portfolio, making Senator Gallagher a central actor in both the fiscal and parliamentary management of the crisis response.

National Cabinet met this morning for its second sitting since the Middle East conflict began, agreeing to a four-stage plan for domestic fuel security [TA-260330-senate-291b26a05373:s193]. The plan commits all governments to managing demand, prioritising supply, tracking shipments in transit, monitoring regional pinch points, continuing international partner engagement, and maintaining contingency planning — with any escalation in stage to be signalled through National Cabinet in consultation with relevant industries.

This intergovernmental architecture is the sharpest new development of the day and elevates the response from Commonwealth unilateralism to a formally coordinated federal structure.

Earlier in the sitting, Senator Gallagher defended the government's fuel-supply strategy against a Senate motion to suspend standing orders moved by the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate [TA-260330-senate-291b26a05373:s003]. She enumerated ten prior actions taken since the crisis began: doubled penalties for petrol company misconduct, release of 20 per cent of Australia's fuel reserves, relaxed petrol and diesel standards to expand refinery supply, establishment of a national Fuel Supply Taskforce Coordinator, ACCC fuel price monitoring with on-the-spot fines, improved funding access for loss-making refineries, international supply engagement, a special energy ministers meeting, twice-convened National Coordination Mechanism meetings, and unlocked financial counselling funding for affected farmers.

The government characterised its approach as orderly and commensurate with evolving circumstances; the opposition motion was rejected. The Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026 was among the instruments introduced, along with the trading-powers bill, both developed in consultation with the Opposition — a notable procedural signal given the contested chamber dynamic earlier in the day.

The day's activity is consistent with the pattern established since 12 March, when the government first responded to Middle East conflict impacts on domestic fuel supply. Today's measures represent a material step-up: from regulatory and reserve-release actions to excise relief, a $2 billion advance, new trade-finance powers, and a binding intergovernmental plan.

Senator Gallagher also moved, in her Manager of Government Business capacity, to refer CSIRO's upgrade and fitout of Building 302 Research Way, Clayton, Victoria to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works under the Public Works Committee Act 1969 [TA-260330-senate-291b26a05373:s046] — a routine referral that nonetheless illustrates the breadth of government business she is advancing on the same sitting day as the fuel crisis legislation.