Press conference - Parliament House, Canberra

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning. Firstly, can I make some comments about Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle. It's currently a Category 4 and currently impacting the West Pilbara coast with severe impacts extending to the Gascoyne Coast. We are of course still seeing the lingering effects in Northern Australia, particularly the Northern Territory, which is still dealing with the damages from floods. My Government of course stands ready to assist state and territory governments, but also local government at this time. Please, the message is, look after each other, follow advice that's given by agencies and follow local warnings as well. Can I give a shout out to the ABC, which always plays a critical role at times like this as well.

This morning we have had the 16th meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet since the conflict in the Middle East began. Our Government is undertaking every practical measure required to shield our nation from the worst of the global uncertainty which is out there. This war is real. This war is having an impact on Australians, like it's having an impact right around the world. You can't wish that away. What you can do is respond in an appropriate, orderly, adult way. Working with industry, working with different levels of government to make a difference. To make sure that we ensure that supply is there of fuels, but also make sure that you deal with the pressures we understand this creates for small businesses, for farmers, for the Australian public, dealing with these cost of living pressures which are very real as a result of the inflationary impacts here and around the world.

While Australia's fuel supply outlook remains secure over the near term due to the actions that the Government's taken to date, the Government has been clear that the longer this war goes on, the greater the impact will be. But we continue to act to prepare and shield Australians from the worst of it. And for example, six tankers of jet fuel will arrive in Australia between tomorrow and the 8th of April from China and other suppliers as well. We'll have more to say on the statistics which come out weekly over the weekend as well - but I can assure Australians we're working around the clock. And I want us to have the strongest possible plans, so we're ready as well. Over prepared for what may come.

On Monday, I will again convene the National Cabinet. A global crisis needs a national response and that is what we are doing. One of the lessons of the COVID pandemic is that we made a number of decisions as a nation that could have been made better if there was proper consideration. We also had different systems operating across the eight states and territories. What I want to see through the National Coordinator that we've appointed as well, working with the bureaucracy, what Ministers are doing, whether it be Energy Ministers, Treasurers, Transport Ministers, Agriculture Ministers, is to have regular engagement across the jurisdictions as well as working, of course, with industry to make sure that those lessons of COVID do not recur and that we have a truly national coordinated response with all the levels of government fulfilling their responsibilities to make sure that the national interest is served. Minister Bowen.

CHRIS BOWEN, MINISTER FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY: Thanks very much, Prime Minister. Australians, of course, are particularly keen for information about our international supply at the moment in these most troubled international times, and also domestic supply, particularly in regional areas, and I'm pleased to be able to give an update. The situation remains, as I previously indicated, that the six cancelled shipments to Australia that I previously announced as transparently as we could, have been replaced by alternative sources by new cargoes and indeed at least three other extra cargoes have been ordered by our refiners and our importers so that for the next few weeks, Australia's supply of petrol and diesel and oil will be the same, if not higher, than it normally would be.And as in addition, as the Prime Minister indicated, with those Australians thinking about potential flights over Easter, can confirm there are currently, as we speak, six cargo loads of jet fuel on their way to Australia, which is the normal level to be expected at this time. None of them have been cancelled.

Also regionally, I indicated yesterday that supply to the regions is way up. Obviously it's not currently coping with the much increased demand and there's more work to do, which we are doing, as the Prime Minister indicated, every day in close collaboration with the States and with industry. So, Ampol and Viva, our two refiners for example, year on year supplies to regional New South Wales by Ampol up 34 per cent and by Viva up 43 per cent. That's how much extra diesel and petrol is currently flowing to regional NSW as we speak. In Queensland, the Viva figure is up 22 per cent, Ampol is up 34 per cent. Sorry, that was New South Wales, is up 20 per cent in Queensland and similar figures right across the country, I won't go through them all. Western Australia, Ampol's supply up 47 per cent, Viva is up 8 per cent.

I also just wanted to share with you the latest new figures on terminal sales to give, again, Australians an indication of what's happening domestically. Terminal sales means that obviously the sales are happening, that means the demand is there and the supply is there. So, the Newcastle Diesel terminal sales 36 per cent higher in March than forecast. Geelong, 37 per cent higher. Esperance, 41 per cent higher. Gladstone, 48 per cent higher. And Mackay, 55 per cent higher. So, those figures show me that the demand is very high still and the supply is also increasing and has increased. Obviously, as I've said, the Government has always acknowledged there are real and unacceptable shortages in regional Australia as the demand has spiked so much and it's taken time for that strong domestic supply we have to flow through to regional areas to cater for that increased demand. But as the Prime Minister has indicated, we're in constant contact. I'm speaking every day, several times a day, often to the major chief executives as well as my state colleagues. I've had two conversations with State Ministers this morning and more scheduled for this afternoon. And we're very much looking forward to National Cabinet on Monday.

JOURNALIST: Chris Bowen, about 12 years ago you developed a very good relationship with, in fact a bit longer, with the Malaysian Government when you were trying to organise the, so called, people swap. You were sometimes going there weekly. What efforts have you made to speak to the Malaysian Government if they do get special access through the Strait of Hormuz?

MINISTER BOWEN: Well, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and I have been in constant contact with our international colleagues. I don't think we go into detail about every call and every detail, but I have also been talking to the Malaysian Government. I've been very pleased with those conversations. The Malaysian Government has indicated to me they regard their role as a reliable supplier of liquid fuel to Australia extremely importantly and that they see Australia as a key ally and friend and that they will continue to work with us. So, I have nothing but the most positive comments about my discussions with the Malaysian Government.

PRIME MINISTER: Can I just back that up by saying I've also engaged very directly with the Malaysian Government, and one of the benefits of the relationships that we've built in our region, in particular with ASEAN, including all of the ASEAN leaders coming to Melbourne for the hosting of the event in 2024 and then my visit to Malaysia last year, is that those relationships mean that at a time like this, you can just pick up the phone and engage. And that's precisely what we're doing.

JOURNALIST: The opposition is calling for an immediate halving of the fuel excise. Is that something you're looking at? Could the budget take that?

PRIME MINISTER: The opposition are calling for, some having sat in Parliament all week and had the opportunity to raise whatever issues they wanted, they didn't. That's up to them. But they've called also for cuts to things that are making a difference to cost of living, such as batteries, that are making a positive difference. They've called for cuts to EV support. I don't think there's anyone out there today who has bought an electric vehicle who's regretting the decision at this point in time. Look, my Government has always been strong on cost of living measures. We'll continue to do so. We do so in a responsible way in the context of our budget considerations.

MINISTER BOWEN: Just to add to that, Prime Minister. Obviously, we know what pressure petrol prices are putting on Australian families, but we don't think you make petrol cheaper by making electricity more expensive. I mean, the Cheaper Home Batteries Policy is helping hundreds of thousands of families reduce their energy bills by more than 90 per cent, and in some cases, many cases, go from having a bill to a rebate. And it's also putting downward pressure on energy prices more broadly. If you're using less gas at night, that's better for everyone because gas is so expensive. So, it's no small part of the reason why the draft default market offer that was released last week showed reductions in energy bills across every regulated region in Australia. You don't keep that progress going by cutting such remarkably successful programs as the cheaper home battery policy.

JOURNALIST: For both, if I may. What role could Australia's gas exports play in any, let's say, deals with our trading partners in the region in a potential petrol or liquid fuel import and gas export swap?

PRIME MINISTER: Our gas exports are very important in the region and the context of our current circumstances are Australia is a reliable supplier. We expect reciprocation in our economic relations.

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, overnight we had President Trump make a reference to Australia not being very helpful in regards to temporary requests to assist in the Middle East. What's your response to that? And if I could just ask, Mr Bowen, what visibility do we have on fuel availability beyond mid-April?

PRIME MINISTER: President Trump is someone who I've enjoyed a very constructive relationship with. I said very early on that I wasn't going to comment on all of his commentary on a day to day basis. But I again reiterate that there is no request being made to Australia that has not been agreed to. President Trump, it is up to him to explain his comments. But of course I make the point as well that Australia wasn't consulted before this action was undertaken and I respect that. That's a matter for the United States. What Australia is responsible for and what I, as the Prime Minister of Australia, are responsible for is Australia's response. And we've been constructive. We've provided the E7 Wedgetail aircraft that is playing a critical role in support of the Gulf states who've been attacked by Iran unprovoked. And that, of course, because of the number of Australians who are present in the region, particularly in the UAE, is also about protecting Australians at this time. In addition to that, we've provided the MRAMs as well to our friends in the UAE and we are in constant engagement. And I've worked directly with MBZ, Mohammed bin Zayed, the leader of the UAE as well.

MINISTER BOWEN: The situation remains that with those six cancellations having been replaced, plus added to, that does give me confidence for the coming weeks. Certainly every day that passes without more cancellations is more confidence going into April and late April and into early May. Having said that, the international environment remains very uncertain. Prices are elevated in the international oil market, there's no question about that. And we continue to work very closely with the refining and import industry on how we work together there to ensure that secure supply to Australia.

JOURNALIST: What do you say to regional families who are struggling to sort of fill the tank to even drive their kids to school, that's how challenging it is in some small towns to actually get around. Their livelihoods, they're cropping, they've got no fuel to put in the tractor. Should there have been more done by your government to ring fence regional fuel supply? Is that a misunderstanding from Federal Labor about what the agricultural sector and regional communities need? And will this fuel supply that's now coming into force actually do anything about the price over the next month?

PRIME MINISTER: We understand that people are under real pressure and the impact of this war is real. It's happening across the other side of the world. But in today's interconnected world, it's why we have to engage and we acknowledge that. I feel for people who are under pressure with some of the shortages which have been there, that's the first thing that we've had to deal with. On top of that, there's price. But the fact that some regional areas have had those shortages, we know that that is about distributional issues, because there hasn't been a reduction in supply of fuel into Australia or indeed production. Indeed, there's been an increase in production in Australia because of the changes that we've made to fuel standards for both petrol and for diesel. So, we're working on this. As Minister Bowen outlined, the additional supply available to regions is a direct result of the Minister doing his job, working constructively with the companies as well and getting that done.

MINISTER BOWEN: Can I just add about the question about timing. We've made some very big calls. We've made some very big calls and the right calls, but they're big calls. Like taking the decision to release 20 per cent of the minimum stock obligation was not a straightforward decision. First time it's been done. It's not a decision you rush to, you work it through carefully, you think about the implications. We've kept 80 per cent back, as we should for any further eventualities. Likewise the decisions we've made on sulphur. I had consulted the Fuel Quality Committee, for example. A change like that would normally take 18 months to work through. We did it in four days. I think that's an appropriate level of speed. Similarly, the flashpoint decision I made on diesel, to get more diesel into Australia, has to be worked through carefully, it has implications. The right decision. 100 per cent the right decision. People have made other suggestions which we worked through and had to reject because they don't meet quality standards for cars, et cetera. So, lots of people making good suggestions, but not all of them work. You've got to work those through carefully. As I said, things that would normally take 18 months done in three or four days, does show a level of urgency, appropriate level of urgency. On price, as I've always said, our key focus is supply so that Australians can get access. We know the pressure that's putting on families with petrol prices and obviously more supply is better for a whole range of reasons. But the main focus is making sure Australians get access to that supply at the moment, because we've always indicated the biggest impact on petrol prices is oil prices, but we need to get that supply out to people.

JOURNALIST: I realise you don't want to preempt decisions at National Cabinet, but can you talk about is it mainly going to focus on ways to reduce demand, ways to make sure supply gets out into the regions? What's the sort of main focus that you're anticipating? And for the Minister, can we get an update on where petrol stations with shortages are up to? And have you asked the states to provide more consistent and regular data so that, we're about to go into the weekend - will there be updates over the weekend?

PRIME MINISTER: The focus of Monday will be on national coordination. That's why we've set up a structure with Anthea Harris of making sure there's a Fuel Supply Coordinator. But it's why as well, we're gathering to learn those lessons - as I said in my outline at the beginning, the lesson of COVID is don't get down different roads everywhere, take responsibility. I note one of the front pages of a newspaper today speaking about information and data being made available. That comes from the states. That comes from them. You know, so, it's a rather strange article, it must be said. Everyone has to take their responsibility. We're doing that.

MINISTER BOWEN: Just to add on service station data - that is collected by states. Every state has a regime in place. They share the information with me. I've been giving updates to the Parliament. That's been a collation data collection from the states and territories, which I'm grateful for. The information flow between the jurisdictions is very strong. For example, Queensland has, as a matter of law, service station reporting under their Fair Trading Act, as a matter of their law, and then they provide that information to the RACQ for a daily website. Other states have tightened that in recent weeks. So, congratulate Victoria and New South Wales and Tasmania for the actions they've taken. I don't intend to ask service stations to provide the same information to the Commonwealth as they provide to the states every day. That is not a solution here. That is not a solution here. We respect the role of states. As I said, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia stepped up with their changes to freight rules, for example. Those states that have really responded and doing more, we very much welcome. We'll keep working together. But now there are state roles like collecting service station by service station information, which is not best done from Canberra. And then there are the federal roles, which are primarily about ensuring the security of supply into Australia.

JOURNALIST: Do you have the data for today?

MINISTER BOWEN: No, it comes in later in the day.

JOURNALIST: Just on communication - you guys have seen, the Government's received scrutiny for how information's been released, the tone at points. You haven't stood up in a forum like this yet, the two of you, just to communicate all the information at once in the Blue Room or the Courtyard. Should we expect more moments like this? Should we expect daily communication on the numbers, on coordination with the states? And Prime Minister, just on your comment about Australia not being consulted on the war, did that create an impression in your mind that we weren't obligated to give more help because we weren't brought into the mix early?

PRIME MINISTER: No, I'm not precious about these things. The United States can make its decisions and it did so. We made a decision as well about what our response would be and we continue to engage constructively. We have abhorrence for the Iranian regime. It remains in place, though today, that is a fact. But we continue to want to see greater human rights in Iran and a regime that would actually respect its own people. And the fact that Iran had engaged in an attack on our soil through the IRGC was, as I said very clearly and explicitly at the time, a very real factor in our attitude towards that regime.

And we've been accountable. I have stood up. This is my second press conference this week. And we speak a lot about different parts of the world. I stand in Question Time for over an hour. We had 22 questions on Monday, 26 on Tuesday, 22 on Wednesday, and 20 on Thursday. I'm pretty accountable, and so is the Government. More accountable, I would suggest, than any comparative country where, the UK, our system's based on - there's one hour of questions once a week when Parliament sits.

JOURNALIST: One question, blunt answer. Does Australia still support this war, or do you believe Trump's achieved his state's objectives and should cease hostilities?

PRIME MINISTER: That, of course, is a decision for the United States. And we are an important ally of the United States. But we do want to see a de-escalation, and we do understand that this war is having a massive global economic impact, and the United States is, you know, we are allies of the United States. That is an important relationship that we have. President Trump has said that the objectives that he sought re Iran not getting a nuclear weapon, and Iran not being in a position to continue to attack its neighbours and engage, including financing some of its proxies, whether it be Hamas, Hezbollah or the Houthis, was an important objective. But we continue to call for - we do want to see an end to the conflict. We do want to see that. As I have said, we have an abhorrence though, of the Iranian regime. Thanks very much.