by NAZIYA ALVI RAHMAN – PM ANTHONY Albanese hasn’t laid out what Australia’s true energy situation is. Worse, he hasn’t laid out what the plan is – and he hasn’t provided the confidence the nation needs.
These are the words of Opposition Leader Angus Taylor as he criticised the Prime Minister’s national address on the fuel crisis, saying it failed to provide clarity at a time of heightened concern.
- Australians are sensible. They can work it out if they’re given the facts.
- On the one hand, we’re told there’s nothing to worry about, moments later we’ve been told there’s a crisis.
- These things don’t add up.
Mr Taylor said last week’s speech offered little substance and did not outline a clear plan for solving the crisis.
“What Australians need is confidence. They need clarity, not confusion. And last night’s address didn’t help. It could have been a social media post,” he told ABC Radio.
NO CONFIDENCE
“It didn’t lay out what the situation was. It didn’t lay out what the plan was, and it certainly didn’t give the confidence Australians need right now to get about their lives.”
Taylor also urged the Labor Government to be more transparent about the fuel crisis, so the country could respond to the challenges more effectively.
“They keep saying that there’s lots of fuel in the system. So lay that out, make that clear, help us to understand that and Australians won’t panic,” he said.
“We’re sensible people. I think people can work it out if they’re given the facts.
“On the one hand, we’re told there’s nothing to worry about, moments later, we’ve been told there’s a national crisis and these things don’t add up.”
In his April 1 address, Mr Albanese urged people to go about their lives “as normal”, while also encouraging them to conserve fuel.
He stopped short, however, of explaining how the situation would be managed.
Instead, the PM highlighted existing measures, including a temporary cut to fuel excise and the removal of heavy vehicle road user charges.
He also referenced longer-term efforts to stabilise supply and prevent future price spikes.
“We are working to bring the price of fuel down, to make more fuel here and to keep it onshore,” he said.
“And get more fuel here – using our strong trading relationships with our region to bring more petrol, diesel and fertiliser to Australia.”
Nationals Leader Matt Canavan said the Prime Minister’s speech reflected a broader pattern in the government’s handling of the crisis.
UPFRONT
“It’s a melange of mixed messages and the hint of the fact that the Government’s not being upfront, they’re not giving it to you straight,” he told Sky News Australia.
Canavan pointed to what he described as conflicting messaging – urging Australians to maintain normal activity while also cutting back on fuel use.
The Nationals leader also said greater transparency was needed, arguing the Government should “just give us the whole truth and nothing but the truth”.
At the same time, he also criticised Labor’s handling of information to Parliament, saying: “The government really has a ‘if you don’t ask, we won’t tell’ approach.”
Meanwhile, One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce said the speech had failed to reassure communities already experiencing fuel shortages.
“We’re concerned because there are so many towns without fuel,” he said.
Mr Albanese, meanwhile, defended his national address amid criticism that the lead-up to the speech heightened public concern rather than easing it.
He said he needed to address Australians as demand for fuel continued to rise.
“The truth is that the demand spike in fuel had occurred, was continuing to occur. There hasn’t been a single ship that was due to arrive in Australia in March that had not arrived,” he said.
“I will take every opportunity to talk to the Australian people directly, because that is showing them respect.” PC
Albanese was and still is a left wing student activist; he has never grown up and never had to face reality. He governs for his ridiculous crusade issues and ego. He does not care that his policies will destroy Australia because all he cares about is his moral superiority being validated. Most of his party is the same.
The problem is a lot of the SFLs are of the same type while the rest of them are gutless, cowards or fools like john howard who believe there are rules which the ALP/greens/teals conform to: they don’t, all they care about is being in power and their invented issues like global boiling, renewables, Aboriginal rights, Native Title, the alphabet people, transexuals, Islam and communism.