Forget about fuel, what about FOOD!

What happens when Australia runs out of fuel? You should be concerned...

The Albanese government wants Australians to believe that we have fuel security, but we really do not. There’s no government owned reserve, there’s no safety net and there’s no plan that’s really worth its salt. There’s no secret stash of fuel waiting overseas to come and save us.

I’m sure we’ve all heard Minister Bowen talking about our strategic fuel reserve. That term might lead you to believe that we have a government backed stockpile funded, controlled and owned by us, but that is not entirely accurate.

When the minister talks about a strategic reserve, he’s actually referring to Australia’s minimum stockholding obligation which is, essentially, the fuel reserve held in the tanks of companies like Shell, Ampol, BP, Mobil, that type of thing. They usually hold around a month’s worth of fuel stocks in their tanks, well under our international obligation of 90 days.

When the government says that they’re going to release fuel, all they’re doing is asking these private companies to drain more of their tanks and hoping for the best. That’s not a strategy.

Fuel is not optional. Mums and dads need fuel to drive the kids to school. We need it to get to work. We need it to put food on the table. No fuel means no transport. No fuel means no food.

And yet what are we hearing from this government? What are we hearing? Crickets, in my opinion. It’s not good enough.

Now, some politicians are already floating the idea of COVID style stay at home orders to protect fuel supply. I’ve heard plans in the media to cap the amount of fuel we can buy to $40.

Think about that for a second. If the tankers stop coming, the government has no real plan, just slogans and spin in my opinion.

Fuel supply is a basic responsibility of government, and on that they have failed all Australians.

Senator Ralph Babet, Senator for Victoria, United Australia Party.