HANSARD EXTRACT
|
Private Members' Business: Petrol Prices |
| 28 November 2005 |
Mr HAYES
(Werriwa)
(4.27
p.m.)—This
is not the first time that I have raised the price of petrol in this
place—and, given the government’s inactivity in this regard, I
daresay it will not be the last. I support this motion because
petrol prices are having a crushing impact on the family budgets of
the people of my electorate of Werriwa and no doubt in the
electorate of Bowman as well. The family budgets of Western Sydney
are certainly suffering.
It continues to shock and amaze me, with the claims that we hear so
often that this government is a friend of the Aussie battler, that,
when it comes to making decisions about anything to do with higher
petrol prices, this government is not to be seen. You wonder what it
would take for this government to actually do something. This
government at least has to try to do something when it comes to
higher petrol prices.
The motion before us is quite clear. It seeks to have the
government, in the first instance at least, direct the Australian
Competition and Consumer Commission to monitor petrol prices. While
this government is sitting on its hands, watching over the shoulder
of petroleum companies operating in
Australia, the Australian population is continuing to ask how it is
that petrol prices can fluctuate by up to 10c per day. Motorists
deserve an explanation for this phenomenon; they deserve to know
that somebody independent is at least looking out for their
interests.
High transport fuel costs have a significant impact on this nation’s
economy. In the first instance, they lower the level of household
discretionary income, as was reported recently in the Telegraph.
I cannot recall the date, but it reported that it was costing
workers from
Western Sydney up to $300 a week to travel to work in the Sydney CBD.
While petrol prices increase, so does the cost of getting to and
from work—obviously. As the cost of getting to and from work
increases, discretionary income falls. Once this starts it puts
immediate pressure on household budgets, it puts a dent in consumer
confidence and the problem starts to multiply.
Small businesses are feeling the pinch. Firstly, the high prices
have an impact for people in the cost of operating their own
businesses and decreasing their profits. Secondly, the decrease in
household discretionary income starts to impact on the pool of money
that is there and available to be spent either in their stores or on
the services which they provide. Small businesses are always in
highly competitive industries. There is very little room for them
when it comes to maintaining their profitability. The longer the
government refuses to act on petrol prices, the more these small
businesses are going to suffer and the more families in urban, rural
and regional
Australia are going to suffer. In the first instance, let us give
the Australian taxpayer the tax cut they deserve so that the
unprecedented petrol prices faced by Australian families can at
least be dealt with.
Mr Brough—Let’s
give them the GST back.
Mr HAYES—The
Assistant Treasurer interjects, but let us give them some access to
this $14 billion surplus. Give it back to Australian families. Give
them access to it. Having the government direct the ACCC to monitor
petrol prices will not—I agree—resolve the petrol problems faced by
this country in the longer term. But it will certainly put a stop to
trying to extract higher profits in the short term.
The Australian government needs to act when it comes to
Australia’s
fuel self-sufficiency, and it needs to act now. I have spoken about
this on many occasions. We need to increase the use of Australian
transport fuels, reduce our reliance on imported fuels and develop
cleaner fuels that will become cheaper in the future. The lack of
action on the part of the government when it comes to securing the
future of Australian transport fuels is going to have a severe cost
on our economy and on Australian society. The issue needs to be
acted upon, and it needs to be acted upon now. I support the motion
and I call on the government to act rather than hope the issue will
go away.
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