Colin Boyce
Flynn · Liberal National Party · Australia
“We all know the recent budget was a disaster. However, there's an initiative that I do welcome, and that is the $10.7 billion fuel security package, comprising $7.5 billion to establish a fuel and fertiliser security facility, $3.2 billion for a government owned Australian fuel security reserve and $10 million for a feasibility study into…”
“We will restore common sense to housing and immigration by ensuring Australia only brings in as many people as it can house. Under the coalition's policy pledge, net overseas immigration will be capped each year at the number of new homes completed in Australia.”
“After four years of higher taxes, more debt, fewer homes, weaker borders and falling living standards under Labor, the coalition is putting forward seven policies to restore Australia's standard of living and protect our way of life. Under Labor, inflation has pushed up prices, wages and tax bills.”
“We'll deliver more fuel, more storage and more security for Australia and reduce pressure on families and small businesses by scrapping Labor's safeguard mechanism, a carbon tax on business that will cost refineries, for example, around $165 million by 2029-30.”
“It is a clear opportunity to build on that strength and secure Gladstone's future as a powerhouse of industry and energy. With the right backing, this project can drive economic growth, support local businesses and provide greater certainty for families across Central Queensland.”
“By increasing defence spending to three per cent of GDP, the coalition will provide increases to defence spending so that the men and women of the Australian Defence Force have the proper platforms, equipment and protection to fight for us.”
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“By increasing defence spending to three per cent of GDP, the coalition will provide increases to defence spending so that the men and women of the Australian Defence Force have the proper platforms, equipment and protection to fight for us. We must back Australians who work hard, save hard and want to get ahead, because this is a country that is worth fighting for.”
“We'll deliver more fuel, more storage and more security for Australia and reduce pressure on families and small businesses by scrapping Labor's safeguard mechanism, a carbon tax on business that will cost refineries, for example, around $165 million by 2029-30. We'll back small businesses to invest, with a permanent $50,000 instant asset write-off. Any business with a turnover of less than $10 million will be able to immediately deduct assets costing up to $50,000, on a permanent basis. We'll make Australia stronger and safer in the face of global threats, with a whole-of-nation national security strategy and a real increase in funding for defence.”
“We will restore common sense to housing and immigration by ensuring Australia only brings in as many people as it can house. Under the coalition's policy pledge, net overseas immigration will be capped each year at the number of new homes completed in Australia. We'll put Australians first by reserving welfare payments and future eligibility for the NDIS for Australian citizens. From 1 July 2028, access to 17 welfare payments and benefits will be limited to Australian citizens only. Future eligibility for the NDIS will also be limited to Australian citizens. We will establish a future generations fund to ensure resource windfalls are used responsibly. Where resource windfalls are higher than forecast, a coalition government will bank 80c in every dollar into the future generations fund.”
“After four years of higher taxes, more debt, fewer homes, weaker borders and falling living standards under Labor, the coalition is putting forward seven policies to restore Australia's standard of living and protect our way of life. Under Labor, inflation has pushed up prices, wages and tax bills. Australians are not better off, but they are being taxed as if they were better off. From 2028-29, a coalition government will index the bottom two tax income thresholds to inflation. This will fully protect around 85 per cent of income earners, with relief of around $250 in year 1, growing to more than $1,000 a year in year 4. From 2031-32, the coalition will index the top two thresholds as well, fully protecting all income earners from inflation.”
“It is a clear opportunity to build on that strength and secure Gladstone's future as a powerhouse of industry and energy. With the right backing, this project can drive economic growth, support local businesses and provide greater certainty for families across Central Queensland. Importantly, it would also reduce our reliance on imported fuel, improving resilience in times of global uncertainty. By supporting this development, we can deliver real opportunity, stronger communities and lasting energy security not just for Gladstone but for Australia as a whole.”
“We all know the recent budget was a disaster. However, there's an initiative that I do welcome, and that is the $10.7 billion fuel security package, comprising $7.5 billion to establish a fuel and fertiliser security facility, $3.2 billion for a government owned Australian fuel security reserve and $10 million for a feasibility study into new or expanded refining capacity. Gladstone is ready to take the next bold step forward. A new oil refining and fuel storage facility would deliver long-term, high quality jobs; attract significant private investment; and strengthen Australia's fuel security at a time when it has never been more critical. Our region already has the foundations in place: a world-class port, a highly skilled workforce and a long established industrial base that continues to deliver for both Queensland and the nation.”
“If you save, we tax you. If you inherit something from your parents, we're going to tax you. And, if you drive a truck, work in the mining industry or rely on affordable energy, we're going to regulate you into oblivion.' This government does not believe that prosperity is created by individuals and communities. It believes that prosperity belongs first to the government. This budget is not about building Australia stronger; it is about managing its decline. It asks Australians to expect less, own less, save less and aspire less. But Australians are better than that. Regional Australians are better than that. The people of Flynn are better than that. Australians do not want a government that punishes success and subsidises failure. This is an appalling budget. Words fail me.”
“This budget also fails to confront the pressures created by Labor's immigration settings. Australians are already struggling to find housing, access health care and secure child care, yet Labor continues to preside over historically high immigration numbers without the infrastructure or housing supply needed to support them. That places enormous strain on communities. Australians are a compassionate people, but they also respect responsible planning. A government cannot simultaneously claim to care about housing affordability while dramatically increasing demand without increasing supply. This budget reveals something deeper than bad economics. It reveals a government that fundamentally misunderstands aspiration. Labor sees aspiration as something suspicious: 'If you start a business, we tax you. If you invest, we tax you.”
“This budget allocates another $18.2 billion towards net zero measures, bringing the total spending commitments to at least $80 billion, and that figure does not even include the hidden costs of renewable subsidies through schemes like the Capacity Investment Scheme. If the government is so proud of its agenda, why does the Treasury barely mention it? Why was net zero virtually absent from the budget speech? This is because Labor knows Australians are increasingly seeing the consequences: higher electricity prices, reduced energy reliability, pressure on manufacturing, pressure on mining, pressure on agriculture and pressure on household budgets. Australia should pursue practical environmental outcomes while protecting jobs, industry and affordability. Instead, Labor has embraced ideology over pragmatism.”
“This budget cuts $6.15 billion from the Inland Rail; $4.7 billion from broader infrastructure spending; $103 million from the national water grid; nearly $192 million from drought resilience, pest management and regional trade programs; and over $21 million from regional communications funding. At the same time, Labor somehow found $3.8 billion for the Victorian government's Suburban Rail Loop, a project increasingly viewed as a political favour rather than a national priority. What message does this send to regional Australia? 'If you live in the bush, your infrastructure gets cut.' Labor continues to spend extraordinary sums pursuing its net zero agenda while refusing to level with Australians on the real cost.”
“Regional Australians are becoming collateral damage in Labor's ideological obsession with net zero. The Prime Minister promised lower power prices. Instead, Australians are paying more. He promised lower inflation, yet Australians are facing higher grocery bills, higher rents and higher mortgages. He promised transparency, and instead Australians received hidden taxes, accounting tricks and broken promises. Even Labor's own figures show falling disposable income per capita and declining real wages. Australians are working harder just to go backwards. Regional Australia has also been hit with billions of dollars of infrastructure cuts.”
“That will place even greater strain on public hospitals that are already struggling. At a time when pensioners and retirees are battling rising electricity prices, rising grocery bills, rising insurance costs and rising rent, this government has decided to make health care more expensive for them too. Seniors who have done the right thing all their lives should not be punished for maintaining private health cover. Nowhere is the failure of the budget more obvious than in regional Australia, and the people in my electorate of Flynn, in Central Queensland, have been abandoned. Labor's budget obliterates the fair go for regional communities while doubling down on an economically reckless rush towards a renewables-only future that is driving up power prices and undermining the viability of industry.”
“We ask them to sacrifice on our behalf, and in return we guarantee that, when they come home, we'll look after them. This cap undermines that promise. It sends a terrible message not only to veterans but to every young Australian considering a career in the Australian Defence Force. A nation that spends billions on ideological vanity projects should never claim it cannot afford to properly care for its veterans. Older Australians are also being punished under this budget. Labor has slashed the private health insurance rebate for many seniors, reducing the rate of rebate support from as high as 32 per cent down to 24 per cent. The consequences are obvious: higher premiums, higher household costs and potentially thousands of older Australians abandoning private health cover altogether because they simply cannot afford it.”
“The Labor government has imposed a $5,000 annual cap on allied health services for veterans, and this is shameful. Veterans rely on physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy and other allied health supports not as luxuries but as essential treatments for injuries sustained while serving our nation. Many veterans live with chronic pain, mobility limitations and psychological trauma directly connected to their service. For veterans with complex needs, $5,000 will not even come close to addressing the necessary care that they need. So what happens then? The treatment gets delayed, conditions deteriorate, families carry greater burdens, mental health worsens, and ultimately the public health system pays a greater price anyway. Australia makes a sacred promise to those who wear this nation's uniform.”
“Before the election, the Prime Minister, and the Treasurer, repeatedly assured Australians there would be no new taxes that targeted family inheritance or generational wealth transfers. Yet buried within the budget are measures that amount to a punitive 30 per cent tax burden on inherited superannuation balances and assets in certain circumstances. Australians work their entire lives to build something for their children and their grandchildren. They pay income tax, they pay company tax, they pay GST, they pay stamp duty, they pay fuel excise, and now, after a lifetime of their paying taxes, Labor wants one more bite of the apple—and that's on the day you die. When Labor run out of money, they come after yours—no truer words said. Perhaps the most disgraceful element of this budget is the treatment of our veterans.”
“This will not only hurt the wealthy investors. It will hurt startups. It will hurt innovation. It will hurt small businesses seeking capital. It will hurt Australians trying to build retirement savings outside the pension system. Labor claims to support future economy while simultaneously taxing the very investment it creates. You do not fix toxic taxes with carve-outs and exemptions; you axe them. Australians deserve a tax system that rewards hard work, rewards savings, rewards risk taking and rewards enterprise. Instead, Labor offers envy, punishment and class warfare. Then we come to what many Australians are increasingly describing as Labor's hidden death tax.”
“Why should Australians pay tax on gains inflated by inflation while receiving little or no practical recognition for the losses elsewhere in their portfolios? Treasury appears to have modelled a fantasy investor who buys one perfect asset that only ever rises in value, and this is not what happens in real life. Real Australians own diversified portfolios. Some shares rise; others fall. Some years are good; others are difficult. Under Labor's system, diversification could actually punish investors. One analysis showed that a diversified $10,000 investment across the major banks generated a real gain of around $1,250. Yet, under Labor's proposal, the tax payable could exceed $1,800. In plain English, the tax could be bigger than the profit, and that is not fair; that is daylight robbery. Let us be very clear.”
“It is a tax on savings, a tax on investment and a tax on ambition. The worst part is that this does not even appear to have been properly thought through. Experts, economists and former Treasury officials are now warning that, under Labor's model, Australians could end up paying tax greater than their actual real-world profit. I think that's just absurd. A hardworking Australian could invest prudently, diversify their portfolio—exactly as every financial adviser recommends—and still end up worse off, because Labor's tax regime design ignores how ordinary investment actually works. The Prime Minister dismisses criticism as scare campaigns. He refuses to answer the most basic questions.”
“Older generations had access to affordable housing. They benefited from sensible tax settings, and they had the opportunity to invest, build wealth and create stability. Now younger Australians are being told that opportunity is no longer for you. Housing is already out of reach for many Australians. So what are young people doing? They are trying to be responsible. They are saving. They are investing in shares, ETFs, crypto assets and managed funds. They are delaying gratification in the hope that one day they might be able to own a home or build financial security. And what does the Labor government do? They punish them for it. Labor's changes to capital gains tax are not reform; they are an assault on aspiration. This government wants to impose one of the highest effective capital gains tax regimes in the developed world.”
“This budget is not a budget of aspiration. It is not a budget for families. It is not a budget for workers, pensioners, veterans or small-business owners. It is a budget of excuses. It is a budget that punishes people for trying to get ahead, and this budget tells younger Australians that the dream their parents enjoyed is no longer available to them. Whether it is a tradie trying to grow a business or a young couple trying to buy their first home, a veteran seeking treatment or a pensioner struggling to pay the bills, this budget makes it harder for all. Labor's toxic taxes amount to intergenerational fraud. For decades, Australians were told that, if they worked hard, saved carefully and invested wisely, they could build security for themselves and their families. That was the Australian promise and the Australian dream.”
“Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do; I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place; go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go! I'm not suggesting that every member opposite is deserving of Cromwell's wrath, but I do say this: if there was ever a budget that embodied arrogance, hypocrisy, broken promises and contempt for ordinary people, this is the budget. We'll fast forward 373 years, and Australians are once again watching a government that has lost touch with the people that it was elected to serve.”
“Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth? Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves become the greatest grievance.”
“I rise to make a contribution to the Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2026-2027. To begin my contribution, I would like to quote Oliver Cromwell's speech to the English parliament that he delivered on 20 April 1653 because it is entirely relevant and exactly the way I feel about the government we have today and the way it has delivered its budget and the effect it will have on the Australian people. Cromwell said: It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money. Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you?”
“This government's infrastructure priorities are being driven by political deals in capital cities and not by the economic and safety needs of regional and rural Australia.”
“The Inland Rail was projected to remove about 200,000 truck movements from our roads every year, while saving approximately 280 million litres of diesel annually. And that is why I support the efforts to move more freight from road to rail. Labor's own Transport Resilience and Capacity Kickstart program acknowledges the importance of shifting freight onto rail networks, yet somehow Labor can't see the value in completing the Inland Rail itself. So I ask: why don't the lives lost on our regional roads factor into Labor's calculations? Why are regional Australians expected to carry the burden while billions of dollars are redirected elsewhere? While Labor make cuts to Inland Rail, they have handed Victorian Labor a $3.8 billion bailout for Melbourne's Suburban Rail Loop, a project expected to cost more than $200 billion.”
“This decision is not just short-sighted; it's a direct blow to Central Queensland, to regional businesses, to road safety and to the future productivity of our country. The Flynn electorate is the economic engine room of Australia—or at least one of the economic engine rooms of Australia. Our highways include the Bruce, Burnett, Capricorn, Dawson and Leichhardt highways, and these are among the nation's most critical freight routes. But they are also under immense strain. The Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads' crash data shows that, across these five highways, just within the Flynn electorate, 2,125 crashes resulted in fatalities or hospitalisations. On the Bruce Highway alone, 96 crashes resulted in 112 fatalities, and a staggering 56 per cent of those fatal crashes involved 63 trucks.”
“The Inland Rail is a nation-building project designed to strengthen Australia's supply chains, reduce freight congestion, improve road safety and deliver long-term economic growth for regional communities. From the very beginning, I have consistently advocated for the extension of the Inland Rail to the Port of Gladstone because regional Australia deserves infrastructure that serves an entire nation, not just the capital cities. Yet, in this year's budget, the Labor government confirmed what regional communities feared most and have effectively abandoned the Inland Rail project. Instead of completing this transformational freight corridor and delivering the benefits promised to regional Australians, the Labor government has chosen to cut funding and walk away halfway through this project.”
“Reports also suggest there will be changes to negative gearing and the 50 per cent capital gains tax discount for property investors, and that comes despite the Prime Minister repeatedly denying during the 2025 election campaign that Labor would alter those arrangements. Australians who have worked hard, invested responsibly and planned for their future have a right to be concerned. There are also expected to be new taxes and tighter rules on family trusts—another policy area Labor said would not be touched before the election. The old saying, 'When Labor runs out of money, they come after yours,' has never been more relevant and obvious.”
“The Treasurer will hand down the government's much anticipated budget tonight, and Australians are already getting a glimpse of what's in store. Let's look at what's already been reported. The Labor government has scrapped the Inland Rail project to Queensland, despite previously claiming to support it. This is a major blow to regional communities, producers and freight operators, who are relying on the project to improve productivity and strengthen supply chains across rural and regional Australia. At the same time, the government has committed another $3.8 billion to Victorian Labor's underfunded $200 billion Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop, a project that many experts say lacks transparency and clear funding pathways.”
“They deserve a government that understands the importance of industry, that values manufacturing and delivers policy that makes Australia a competitive place to do business. In closing, Mr Speaker, I would just like to take the opportunity to wish you, my fellow parliamentarians and all of the parliamentary staff are happy and safe Easter”
“We should be backing our own workers, not just with short-term funding but with long-term policy certainty that ensures their industries remain viable for decades to come, and that means getting energy policy right. It means ensuring reliability, affordability and 24/7 power generation—something a renewables only approach simply cannot do—and it means recognising that the regional communities like those in Flynn cannot be an afterthought in the national decision-making process, because when policies are made in capital cities without the regard for their real world impacts, it is regional Australians who bear the consequences, and they deserve more than just bandaid solutions.”
“They are grappling with rising energy prices, increased regulatory burdens and uncertainty about the future. In Flynn, the Boyne smelter is not just another industrial facility. It supports local jobs, drives investment and underpins the prosperity of the broader region. When it is under threat, the entire community is under threat. We welcome the continuation of operations until 2040, but we cannot ignore the warning signs that this situation presents. If we continue down the path where energy policy drives up costs, where industries are forced to rely on government bailouts and where long-term competitiveness is eroded, then we will see more announcements like this—not good news stories but last resort measures. We should be exporting value added products to the world, not exporting jobs and importing uncertainty.”
“And what happens? Instead of fixing the underlying problem, high energy costs, we end up with taxpayers stepping in to prop up facilities that should, in a well-functioning system, be commercially sustainable. That is not a long-term plan. That is a short-term patch, and it raises serious questions. Why are Australian taxpayers being asked to foot a $2 billion bill to keep a smelter open in a country that has some of the world's most abundant natural resources? This also is given the fact that the Labor government is charging carbon tax on this very smelter. Why are we allowing policies to drive up costs to a point where intervention becomes the only option, and how many more industries will find themselves in this same position? Across regional Australia, manufacturers, processors and producers are all feeling the squeeze.”
“But while I acknowledge the outcome, we must also be honest about how we got here. It is a direct result of policy settings that are making it harder and harder for heavy industry to survive in Australia. We are seeing a situation emerge in which Australia, once a global powerhouse of manufacturing and resources processing, is now struggling to keep its own smelters and heavy industry viable. We have some of the highest energy prices in the developed world, and that is not by accident. It is a consequence of Labor's reckless all renewables approach that fails to ensure reliable, affordable baseload power for industries that depend on it. Aluminium smelting is energy intensive. It requires constant stable electricity supply at competitive prices. When those conditions disappear, so too does the competitiveness of our industries.”
“Last month, the federal and state governments announced a $2 billion bailout for the Rio Tinto Boyne aluminium smelter in my electorate of Flynn in Gladstone. This decision will mean the aluminium production in the region will continue till at least 2040, and, for the thousands of workers, contractors and their families who rely on this facility, that certainty matters. It means mortgages can be paid, kids can stay in the local schools and small businesses across Central Queensland can keep their doors open. I welcome that job security, and I understand and stand with the hard-working men and women in the alumina and aluminium industries who turn up every day to keep this country's manufacturing capability alive and who deserve the stability and the respect from their government.”
“We welcome action where it is taken, but we will continue to hold the government to account to ensure that that action is timely and effective, and that it delivers real results for people that we represent because, in regional communities, when fuel prices rise, everything becomes more expensive—getting to work, putting food on the table and keeping small businesses running. And when connectivity fails, it is not just an inconvenience. It cuts people off from essential services, education and emergency support. These challenges compound disadvantage and widen the gap between the regions and our metropolitan cousins. Our communities deserve better. They deserve certainty, fairness and the infrastructure needed to thrive—just to get by.”
“That is why it is so important that local people have their voices heard. I am encouraging residents, farmers, businesses and community organisations across the electorate of Flynn to make submissions to the Senate inquiry. This is your opportunity to share your experiences, highlight the gaps and help shape a better outcome. Your voice matters, because no-one understands the challenges of regional connectivity better than the people who are living there. Submissions close on 8 April 2026. There may also be opportunities to give evidence at the public hearings. Both these issues—fuel and connectivity—go directly to cost of living, to economic opportunity and to quality of life in regional Australia. They are not abstract policy debates. They are real issues affecting real people.”
“I've heard stories of people driving kilometres just to make a phone call or standing in one specific spot outside their home to get one bar of reception. This is the reality for 2026 that too many Australians living outside the major cities have to contend with, and it's simply not good enough. If this government is serious about closing the digital divide, we must move beyond vague language and start delivering clear, enforceable outcomes. We need defined service standards, transparent reporting and consequences when obligations are not met. We need investment that actually targets known black spots, not just broad commitments that are difficult to measure. Without these elements, there is a real risk this legislation becomes another missed opportunity—well intentioned but, ultimately, ineffective.”
“They want a signal on their phone when they need it most. They want to be able to pick up the phone and make a call when they need to. They want to be able to receive a two-factor authentication text message to log in to internet banking, for example. This is what they are asking for. I speak with constituents across the Flynn electorate who still deal with the daily dropouts, the black spots on major roads and the unreliable service in their homes and businesses. This is not just frustrating, it is holding these communities back. Farmers cannot reliably access real-time data. Small businesses miss opportunities. Families cannot stay connected. In emergencies—whether it be a road accident, a fire or a medical episode—patchy coverage can have serious consequences.”
“Despite the importance of this issue, the government's proposed legislation raises some serious questions. At it's core, the bill places a vague obligation on the telecommunications providers to deliver reasonable access to outdoor mobile connectivity on an equitable basis, but it fails to clearly define what that means in practice. What does 'reasonable access' look like in a rural and remote community, how will these obligations be enforced and how can we be confident that this will deliver real improvements on the ground, rather than just more promises? These are not minor details; they go to the heart of whether this policy will succeed or fail. I've said it before and I'll say it again: the people of regional Australia are tired of being sold announcements instead of outcomes. They do not want glossy headlines.”
“But we will also scrutinise any legislation closely, to ensure that any extraordinary powers granted during the energy crisis are matched with appropriate and proportionate checks and balances. I turn to the second issue: mobile connectivity. The coalition is calling for submissions to a Senate inquiry into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation) Bill 2025. This inquiry is a crucial opportunity for residents of Flynn—and regional Australia, more broadly—to have their say. In communities like ours, reliable mobile coverage is not a convenience; it is a necessity. It can mean the difference between safety and isolation. It underpins our emergency responses, supports our businesses and keeps families connected.”
“The reality is this: we still do not have a clear, workable plan to ensure fuel accurately gets to the service stations that have run dry and the agricultural sector that grows the food and fibre for our nation. The Prime Minister's decision to underwrite supply may sound significant but it does little to address the immediate problem facing communities right now: empty bowsers and higher prices. We are told that there is enough fuel in the system. If that is the case, the question is simple: why is it not getting to where it is needed? Australians deserve answers. They also deserve confidence that the government will not resort to heavy-handed mandates that disrupt markets and create further uncertainty. We do welcome the government's offer of a briefing on these new powers, and we will engage constructively.”
“While this relief is important, we must also be honest about the broader economic context. Measures like this, without proper offsets, risk adding to inflationary pressures, effectively pouring fuel on the inflation fire. That is why it is so important that the government pairs short-term relief with credible long-term plans. After several weeks, it was encouraging to finally see the government outline a national fuel security plan, but that plan remains light on detail. Australians have not been given clear, quantifiable trigger points for what happens next. There is still no transparent framework for how supply disruptions will be managed or how decisions will be made in the national interest.”
“This is a practical, immediate step that could deliver real relief to households and small businesses already under pressure. Now, the government has made the decision to halve the fuel excise and reduce the heavy vehicle road user charge, and this will make a difference. Halving the fuel excise is expected to cut prices from around 26c per litre over the next three months. That is meaningful relief—relief that will be felt at the bowser, in household budgets and across small businesses trying to keep their doors open. Reducing the heavy vehicle road user charge is also an important step. It helps take pressure off the freight sector, and, as we know, when freight costs come down, that flows through to the cost of goods on supermarket shelves and in local stores. These announcements are welcome but also overdue.”
“I rise to speak on two issues that are front of mind for the people of the Flynn electorate. The first is fuel. Right now, families and small businesses across our region are being hit hard by what has become a deepening national fuel crisis. For people in regional communities, fuel is not a luxury; it is an essential. It is how you get to work. It is how you run your farm. It is how you deliver goods. And it is how you keep small business operating. In recent weeks, we've seen prices surge, and, in many cases, simple supply does not reach the local service stations. That means not just higher costs but uncertainty—uncertainty about whether you can even fill up when you need to. The coalition called on the government to act decisively and urgently by halving fuel excise for three months.”
“I think what people want is evidence of what exactly the ACCC is doing, rather than it being seen as a toothless tiger. One of the other issues I'd like to mention is our future, what we should be advocating for as Australians, and that is more self-reliance in this space—”
“It's the fact that the ACCC has been given further and greater powers to police what might loosely be called rorting and playing the system. I've spoken on it on several occasions through the media and so forth, and what the people where I come from are asking is: what is the ACCC actually doing in respect of this? People are going to the local petrol station and, in a matter of a day, they're seeing price rises of 20c or 30c in some cases, but the fuel at the fuel station hasn't changed. So please explain to me, if that's not ripping the system and playing the system, what it is exactly. What does the ACCC need to prosecute people who are breaking the law? One of the speakers here in parliament mentioned that there was something like a $100 million maximum fine with respect to the big companies playing the system.”
“Particularly in our grocery stores all over Australia, we will see groceries become more expensive for everybody because literally everything comes on the back of a truck. That's something that we need to be mindful of. With respect to what I was talking about earlier with the minister for resources—I pointed out to her that she needs to make it known very clearly that Australia exports a lot of coal and gas to many of our near Asian neighbours, who supply us with fuel, and it's important that there's a quid pro quo scenario that goes on there to make sure that our fuel supplies are secured and their energy needs are secured. She concurred with that, and I give her kudos for that and for the meetings I've had with her. I would like to touch on another issue that has come up. Some of the other speakers here in parliament have mentioned it.”
“We use that truck to cart all manner of things, including cattle and grain and our requirements with respect to my agricultural sector. So the idea that one of those electric trucks that was proudly displayed down here in front of Parliament House over the last few days can replace what we've got now in the transport industry—whilst it might be a good idea in the future, it is simply not going to happen in the short term. The idea of an electric truck replacing diesel powered trucks is just absolute nonsense in the near to short term. I think the removal of the road user charge has been a good thing from the government. Delivering that will definitely help the transport industry, who are absorbing a lot of this ongoing cost in the price of fuel, particularly with the delivery of all manner of consumer goods.”
“Like it or not, in spite of what some of my other parliamentary colleagues here have said, particularly the member for Warringah and the member for Canberra, who advocated that we should turn everything electric, that is not going to happen in the real world. Whilst that's a wonderful, pious idea, the reality of it is that there's no such thing as an electric combine harvester or an electric tractor that can farm round the clock. I, unbeknown to many parliamentarians, own a road train. I'm probably one of the few parliamentarians that own a road train. I don't know whether anybody else does. My truck holds about 1,500 litres of diesel when it's full. At $3 or $4 a litre—you can do the maths on that—you're possibly spending $4,000 to $6,000 to fill the truck up.”