1 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,560 S1: Well. The government has finally announced its National Fuel Security 2 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,600 S1: Plan to help us all cope with the worst global 3 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,800 S1: oil crisis the world has ever seen. After meeting with 4 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,240 S1: the heads of all states and territories in a special 5 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:22,040 S1: meeting of National cabinet, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,800 S1: government was acting now to be overprepared for any further 7 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:28,960 S1: worsening of the crisis, which has resulted from the war 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,639 S1: in the Middle East, now in its fifth week and 9 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:36,159 S1: showing no signs of stopping. I'm Samantha Selinger Morris, and 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,120 S1: you're listening to The Morning Edition from the Age and 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:44,600 S1: The Sydney Morning Herald. Today, federal political correspondent Natassia Chrysanthos 12 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,480 S1: on what relief Australians will be getting out of this 13 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:56,520 S1: plan and if the government's measures will boost inflation. Welcome, Natasha, 14 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:57,800 S1: back to the podcast. 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:58,880 S2: Thanks for having me. 16 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:01,400 S1: So, Taz, first off, I've got to ask, do we 17 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,810 S1: have a fuel supply shortage problem? 18 00:01:03,930 --> 00:01:07,530 S2: Well, if you're listening to the Albanese government today, the 19 00:01:07,530 --> 00:01:10,490 S2: issue facing Australians is not a matter of fuel supply. 20 00:01:10,850 --> 00:01:13,850 S2: The kind of biggest issue for Australians, and this has 21 00:01:13,890 --> 00:01:19,289 S2: been borne out in everyone's bank accounts, is cost and 22 00:01:19,330 --> 00:01:22,570 S2: is the price of fuel, which is, you know, high 23 00:01:22,690 --> 00:01:27,209 S2: $2 plus for unleaded over $3 for diesel now in 24 00:01:27,209 --> 00:01:31,930 S2: many places. So what we saw today was Anthony Albanese 25 00:01:31,970 --> 00:01:34,090 S2: come out of a national cabinet meeting with state and 26 00:01:34,090 --> 00:01:37,610 S2: territory leaders, which had kind of this been this this 27 00:01:37,610 --> 00:01:41,130 S2: much awaited well much awaited, I say, by who? People 28 00:01:41,130 --> 00:01:47,690 S2: in this building? Um, yeah, I highly anticipated press conference. Um, 29 00:01:47,690 --> 00:01:51,010 S2: not not quite, but I think the narrative that's existed 30 00:01:51,010 --> 00:01:53,889 S2: for the last kind of two weeks or so around 31 00:01:53,890 --> 00:01:55,930 S2: the government has been, you know, when is it going 32 00:01:55,970 --> 00:01:59,530 S2: to kind of take this united front in this Covid 33 00:01:59,570 --> 00:02:03,060 S2: esque acknowledgement of crisis? Way to tell us what's going 34 00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:05,380 S2: to happen next. And so I think we had the 35 00:02:05,380 --> 00:02:08,700 S2: government do that today, but very insightfully. Its message, like 36 00:02:08,700 --> 00:02:11,859 S2: you said, was not about supply and it wasn't about 37 00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:16,740 S2: getting Australians to do anything Covid esque, like work from 38 00:02:16,740 --> 00:02:20,980 S2: home or start carpooling. Its message was totally focused on 39 00:02:21,780 --> 00:02:23,100 S2: cost of living relief. 40 00:02:23,180 --> 00:02:25,780 S1: And so what are the big takeaways from this national 41 00:02:25,780 --> 00:02:27,260 S1: cabinet meeting held on Monday? 42 00:02:27,580 --> 00:02:30,980 S2: So the big takeaways in terms of things that we 43 00:02:30,980 --> 00:02:33,900 S2: will actually see happen will be an immediate cost of 44 00:02:33,900 --> 00:02:36,820 S2: living relief piece from the government in the form of 45 00:02:36,820 --> 00:02:41,139 S2: halving the fuel excise. So that's about $0.52. That's going 46 00:02:41,180 --> 00:02:43,780 S2: to come down by $0.26 a litre. So everyone should 47 00:02:43,780 --> 00:02:49,260 S2: see that $0.26 cut off every litre of fuel almost immediately. 48 00:02:49,580 --> 00:02:51,980 S2: And the other thing they are doing, which has a 49 00:02:51,980 --> 00:02:57,220 S2: smaller but more direct impact, is eliminating altogether the heavy 50 00:02:57,220 --> 00:03:01,060 S2: vehicle road user charge for truck drivers, basically. But that's 51 00:03:01,060 --> 00:03:05,430 S2: expected to flow through to things like supermarket prices. And 52 00:03:05,430 --> 00:03:10,790 S2: combined those two things will be in play until the 53 00:03:10,790 --> 00:03:13,230 S2: end of June. So for the next three months, which 54 00:03:13,230 --> 00:03:17,669 S2: is quite neatly until the next financial year, and the 55 00:03:17,669 --> 00:03:22,110 S2: cost to the budget will be about $2.55 billion in 56 00:03:22,150 --> 00:03:22,950 S2: that period. 57 00:03:23,070 --> 00:03:25,070 S1: We also heard the government announced that it will be 58 00:03:25,070 --> 00:03:28,310 S1: backing the private sector to help guarantee that we're going 59 00:03:28,350 --> 00:03:32,190 S1: to continue getting enough oil and petrol into Australia. Is 60 00:03:32,190 --> 00:03:32,750 S1: that right? 61 00:03:32,790 --> 00:03:35,190 S2: Yeah. So the government's big focus the last few weeks 62 00:03:35,190 --> 00:03:37,190 S2: and in terms of its public messaging as well, has 63 00:03:37,190 --> 00:03:41,430 S2: been on what it is doing to secure supply. Um, 64 00:03:41,430 --> 00:03:45,270 S2: and I think what one would kind of gather from 65 00:03:45,630 --> 00:03:49,790 S2: its comments today, you know, particularly from Energy Minister Chris Bowen, 66 00:03:49,950 --> 00:03:52,430 S2: is that the government does seem confident about continuing to 67 00:03:52,470 --> 00:03:55,630 S2: secure supply. Um, again, a lot of talk over the 68 00:03:55,630 --> 00:03:58,670 S2: last couple of weeks has been, you know, it wouldn't 69 00:03:58,670 --> 00:04:02,430 S2: be till like April or particularly May when we actually 70 00:04:02,430 --> 00:04:05,880 S2: saw an issue because the full effects of the war 71 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:08,360 S2: will have flown through by then. You know, it takes 72 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,360 S2: ships time and all that. Um, and so the, the 73 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:16,000 S2: kind of drop off a cliff of supply hasn't actually 74 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,040 S2: happened yet. And so there has been speculation that, you know, 75 00:04:20,080 --> 00:04:23,280 S2: late April, May is when we'll actually see that take 76 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:25,599 S2: its full effect. But I think if you listen to 77 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:30,520 S2: the government today, um, they sound pretty confident that they 78 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:35,120 S2: will continue to shore up supply. Um, and you know, 79 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,040 S2: whether that's because they're just willing to pay what they 80 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:40,479 S2: need to, what they need to and work with industry 81 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,080 S2: to get fuel flowing in. 82 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,400 S1: Okay. But what did the government say about any plans 83 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,040 S1: to help us for the longer term, whether it's just 84 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,680 S1: to help us, you know, with cost of living or 85 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,760 S1: to make sure that we have enough supply of oil 86 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,320 S1: and petrol because Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he announced a 87 00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,360 S1: four stage plan. He said, we're currently in stage two. 88 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,800 S1: So did he flag any restrictions on petrol buying or 89 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,640 S1: any other restrictions that might come into place. Once we 90 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,720 S1: get to, say, April or May or the war lasts longer. And, 91 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,719 S1: you know, things sort of start getting tougher. 92 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,400 S2: So this national plan that came out today is a 93 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,080 S2: four stage plan. You know, stage one is called Plan 94 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,920 S2: and Prepare. Stage two is called Keeping Australia Moving. Stage 95 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,279 S2: three is called taking targeted action. And stage four is 96 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,240 S2: protecting critical services for all Australians. There are only a 97 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,600 S2: few dot points in the kind of public version of 98 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:37,320 S2: this plan that we can see. Um, but the where 99 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,640 S2: they've placed us right now is on this stage two 100 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,520 S2: keeping Australia moving. When we get to stage three is 101 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:46,600 S2: when we have, you know, governments continuing to, to act 102 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:51,080 S2: to get supply in. Um, but perhaps looking for people 103 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:56,719 S2: to take practical voluntary measures to reduce demand. And then 104 00:05:56,720 --> 00:06:00,000 S2: stage four is where it looks like we get to 105 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:03,839 S2: kind of mandatory measures to reduce demand. And so the 106 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,290 S2: government was a bit wishy washy, I guess, on precisely 107 00:06:06,290 --> 00:06:10,330 S2: what this would entail. We had the International Energy Agency um, 108 00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:13,530 S2: about ten days ago now, maybe come out with this 109 00:06:13,529 --> 00:06:17,130 S2: list of advice for governments on ways that consumers can 110 00:06:17,130 --> 00:06:20,330 S2: reduce demand or governments can make consumers reduce demand. And 111 00:06:20,330 --> 00:06:23,930 S2: that was looking at things like work from home, carpooling, 112 00:06:23,970 --> 00:06:29,370 S2: fuel rationing. And our government at that point kind of said, 113 00:06:29,370 --> 00:06:32,850 S2: thank you. That's that's, you know, not mandatory advice and 114 00:06:32,850 --> 00:06:35,850 S2: not an instruction. I suppose we could assume that when 115 00:06:35,850 --> 00:06:38,330 S2: we do get to a level three four situation under 116 00:06:38,330 --> 00:06:40,770 S2: this plan, that's where you see some of those measures 117 00:06:40,770 --> 00:06:44,890 S2: come in voluntarily at first and perhaps in a mandatory 118 00:06:44,930 --> 00:06:48,690 S2: fashion afterwards. Um, but crucially, this plan and the Prime 119 00:06:48,690 --> 00:06:52,290 S2: Minister today didn't spell out those measures. You know, he 120 00:06:52,290 --> 00:06:54,650 S2: was asked about Easter long weekends, which are coming up. 121 00:06:54,650 --> 00:06:56,690 S2: People often travel. He kind of said, go about your 122 00:06:56,690 --> 00:06:59,370 S2: business as normal. So there was nothing in today's message 123 00:06:59,370 --> 00:07:05,210 S2: that suggested that people should change their behavior. Um, when 124 00:07:05,210 --> 00:07:07,779 S2: it comes to consuming fuel. Of course, that could be 125 00:07:07,779 --> 00:07:11,140 S2: because fuel prices are setting a behavior signal anyway, right? 126 00:07:11,180 --> 00:07:14,220 S2: Like when fuel is so expensive, you are more likely 127 00:07:14,220 --> 00:07:17,460 S2: to turn to public transport or avoid long trips and 128 00:07:17,460 --> 00:07:20,420 S2: so forth. And perhaps for the government, that's enough. Also, 129 00:07:20,460 --> 00:07:23,340 S2: I guess a key part of the government's message so 130 00:07:23,340 --> 00:07:26,380 S2: far has been there is no problem with supply that 131 00:07:26,380 --> 00:07:30,180 S2: would require people to change their habits. Actually, the biggest 132 00:07:30,180 --> 00:07:32,620 S2: issue and why we're seeing shortages and whatnot has been 133 00:07:32,620 --> 00:07:35,460 S2: because of panic buying and things like that, which is 134 00:07:35,460 --> 00:07:40,540 S2: why I think their message at large is focused on 135 00:07:41,380 --> 00:07:44,180 S2: trying to keep kind of panic out of the conversation 136 00:07:44,180 --> 00:07:46,060 S2: to deter that kind of behavior. 137 00:07:46,100 --> 00:07:48,580 S1: And you're right, I think the message from the government 138 00:07:48,580 --> 00:07:51,580 S1: was perhaps, you know, you said wishy washy. I definitely 139 00:07:51,580 --> 00:07:53,540 S1: don't disagree. It was pretty soft. And we heard the 140 00:07:53,540 --> 00:07:57,060 S1: prime Minister asking people to, quote, do the right thing, unquote, 141 00:07:57,100 --> 00:07:59,980 S1: and voluntarily just not buy more than they need to 142 00:08:00,020 --> 00:08:02,900 S1: not panic. Buy now. I'm not sure what kind of 143 00:08:02,900 --> 00:08:05,220 S1: impact that will have on people, whether they will just 144 00:08:05,260 --> 00:08:08,350 S1: kind of go, okay, I won't panic by I, I 145 00:08:08,590 --> 00:08:10,830 S1: secretly sort of think, you know, people might continue doing that. 146 00:08:10,830 --> 00:08:14,270 S1: I don't know, but I guess when, when could there 147 00:08:14,310 --> 00:08:17,110 S1: be fuel rationing? Was there any indication as to when 148 00:08:17,110 --> 00:08:20,870 S1: there will be involuntary measures placed upon us to help 149 00:08:20,870 --> 00:08:22,670 S1: with this crisis? Because of course, none of us know 150 00:08:22,670 --> 00:08:25,110 S1: when this is going to end. I mean, if anything, um, 151 00:08:25,270 --> 00:08:27,630 S1: it's it's getting more inflamed in the Middle East. More 152 00:08:27,630 --> 00:08:30,790 S1: countries are sort of becoming involved. It's not settling down 153 00:08:31,310 --> 00:08:32,070 S1: well again. 154 00:08:32,070 --> 00:08:36,990 S2: And the government wasn't super specific about what these thresholds 155 00:08:37,270 --> 00:08:41,910 S2: looked like. Like there wasn't a kind of quantifiable figure 156 00:08:42,150 --> 00:08:44,230 S2: as to when we progress to level three and when 157 00:08:44,230 --> 00:08:47,829 S2: we progress to level four. But in general, it's when 158 00:08:47,830 --> 00:08:52,270 S2: supply is disrupted and according to the government, that has 159 00:08:52,270 --> 00:08:54,750 S2: just not happened. So there will be a kind of 160 00:08:54,790 --> 00:08:58,709 S2: activation of those future levels if and when there is 161 00:08:58,710 --> 00:09:01,310 S2: a problem with supply. But as we were kind of 162 00:09:01,350 --> 00:09:03,990 S2: talking about earlier, the government is kind of projecting this 163 00:09:03,990 --> 00:09:05,830 S2: confidence that that's not going to happen. 164 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:19,679 S1: We'll be right back. Okay, so I guess, was there 165 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,760 S1: any discussion about whether we could see any Covid style 166 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,400 S1: mandates to deal with the fuel crisis? Because we know that. 167 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,600 S1: Liberal leader Angus Taylor, shortly before this conference, he gave 168 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,360 S1: an interview and he said, you know, we oppose heavy 169 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:33,960 S1: handed mandates. We saw enough of that during Covid. I 170 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,199 S1: don't want to go back to that. So did the 171 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,280 S1: prime Minister or anyone in his cabinet or otherwise address 172 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:39,960 S1: that at all? 173 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:41,640 S2: Well, I don't think the government wants to go back 174 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,920 S2: to it either. Um, I don't think kind of mandated 175 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:49,120 S2: behaviors with penalties and so forth are kind of conditions 176 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,480 S2: that people like living in. And I don't think it's 177 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,520 S2: where the government wants to be. And so I think 178 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,040 S2: it kind of goes back to what we were just saying, 179 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:58,560 S2: where when we get to that level four kind of 180 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,920 S2: dire supply disruption situation. Yeah. Perhaps you'd see some kind 181 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,680 S2: of mandatory measure, but it very much is a final 182 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:08,040 S2: port of call according to this plan. Like we can 183 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,690 S2: see that the government wants to a just focus on 184 00:10:10,690 --> 00:10:13,610 S2: people's kind of goodwill and being sensible at this point 185 00:10:13,610 --> 00:10:15,450 S2: if it needs to, and it goes to level three, 186 00:10:15,490 --> 00:10:18,370 S2: it will give directions, but they will continue to be voluntary. 187 00:10:18,370 --> 00:10:20,650 S2: And I guess it's only if things got really bad 188 00:10:20,650 --> 00:10:24,850 S2: that we'd see a kind of Covid era enforcement regime. 189 00:10:24,970 --> 00:10:26,330 S2: As to some of these things. 190 00:10:26,850 --> 00:10:29,570 S1: Right. Okay. And what about any other sort of financial 191 00:10:29,570 --> 00:10:32,250 S1: help that Australians have been given as a result of 192 00:10:32,250 --> 00:10:34,530 S1: this national cabinet? Because we know that a couple of 193 00:10:34,530 --> 00:10:38,570 S1: states are, I believe, offering free public transport to try 194 00:10:38,610 --> 00:10:40,610 S1: to sort of alleviate that pressure, of course, on people 195 00:10:40,650 --> 00:10:43,810 S1: buying petrol. So tell us what what, if anything, we 196 00:10:43,809 --> 00:10:44,849 S1: saw in this space? 197 00:10:45,250 --> 00:10:47,569 S2: Well, yeah, the two key things we saw were the 198 00:10:47,570 --> 00:10:51,890 S2: fuel excise and their their heavy vehicle charge. Um, you 199 00:10:51,890 --> 00:10:56,050 S2: have seen states like Victoria and Tasmania going um give 200 00:10:56,290 --> 00:11:01,090 S2: you no relief when it comes to public transport. Um, 201 00:11:01,090 --> 00:11:03,929 S2: but that's something that states can kind of agree to do. 202 00:11:04,050 --> 00:11:07,690 S2: And also, you know, the broader context for all of this, 203 00:11:07,730 --> 00:11:11,300 S2: of course, is like inflation has been on the rise 204 00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:13,540 S2: for the last little while. We've seen two interest rate 205 00:11:13,540 --> 00:11:16,260 S2: rises from the reserve Bank trying to get people to 206 00:11:16,300 --> 00:11:20,420 S2: tighten their wallets. These measures might be it, um kind 207 00:11:20,420 --> 00:11:25,900 S2: of fuel excise reduction or free public transport. Put more 208 00:11:25,900 --> 00:11:27,819 S2: money in people's worlds. You've kind of got the reserve 209 00:11:27,860 --> 00:11:30,500 S2: Bank and the government here working against each other. Um, 210 00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:33,740 S2: and I think there'll be economists today who are very concerned, um, 211 00:11:33,740 --> 00:11:36,300 S2: about what will happen now that, you know, an extra 212 00:11:36,300 --> 00:11:39,180 S2: $2.5 billion could be released into the economy because of 213 00:11:39,179 --> 00:11:43,699 S2: this fuel excise relief. And I think the RBA will 214 00:11:43,740 --> 00:11:46,620 S2: then have to to factor that in to its next decision. 215 00:11:46,620 --> 00:11:48,700 S2: There's a chance that it then raises rates again to 216 00:11:48,740 --> 00:11:52,020 S2: offset the benefit that people have gotten. And it kind 217 00:11:52,020 --> 00:11:55,460 S2: of prolongs this this situation that we're finding ourselves in. 218 00:11:55,500 --> 00:11:58,699 S2: And that's a difficult position for Treasurer Jim Chalmers as well. 219 00:11:59,300 --> 00:12:00,980 S1: Well, I wanted to ask you whether some of our 220 00:12:00,980 --> 00:12:03,700 S1: colleagues in Parliament House there where you where you normally 221 00:12:03,700 --> 00:12:05,980 S1: working are pulling their hair out or sort of just 222 00:12:06,020 --> 00:12:08,980 S1: like kind of freaking out about the public transport being 223 00:12:08,980 --> 00:12:12,150 S1: free and also the having of the fuel excise, because 224 00:12:12,150 --> 00:12:16,350 S1: I know that our colleague, our esteemed economist, specialist colleague 225 00:12:16,350 --> 00:12:19,750 S1: Shane Wright, just the other day wrote with regards to 226 00:12:19,790 --> 00:12:22,110 S1: what might be announced at the national cabinet. If there's 227 00:12:22,110 --> 00:12:24,910 S1: a dumb idea, it's being embraced by people who should 228 00:12:24,910 --> 00:12:28,350 S1: know better. So he might be pulling his hair out today, 229 00:12:28,350 --> 00:12:30,030 S1: I don't know, I haven't seen him. Are you seeing 230 00:12:30,030 --> 00:12:30,750 S1: anyone pull their hair out? 231 00:12:30,790 --> 00:12:32,270 S3: Oh, I'm seeing Shane. 232 00:12:32,270 --> 00:12:36,229 S2: I'm seeing Shane's hair fall to the floor in little pieces. Um, 233 00:12:37,470 --> 00:12:39,990 S2: some of our our regular readers will be familiar with 234 00:12:40,030 --> 00:12:43,030 S2: Shane's work. You know, Shay is a very, um, a 235 00:12:43,030 --> 00:12:46,510 S2: very balanced and experienced economics writer. Um, but this has 236 00:12:46,510 --> 00:12:49,310 S2: been one that he has very strong opinions on this 237 00:12:49,309 --> 00:12:51,589 S2: week and he is tapping away at a, at a 238 00:12:51,590 --> 00:12:54,630 S2: sequel to his drongo piece from last week as we 239 00:12:54,630 --> 00:12:58,550 S2: speak on Monday afternoon. But his, his take was very 240 00:12:58,550 --> 00:13:02,510 S2: much that, you know, this is unnecessary. Right now he 241 00:13:02,550 --> 00:13:06,510 S2: is tapping away at his SQL right now. And that's 242 00:13:06,510 --> 00:13:10,550 S2: because he shares those those concerns of economists that At 243 00:13:11,070 --> 00:13:15,230 S2: both of these measures are a. And necessary because the 244 00:13:15,230 --> 00:13:18,470 S2: reserve Bank is pumping up rates. It is trying to 245 00:13:18,510 --> 00:13:22,990 S2: squeeze people to put a brake on inflation. And this 246 00:13:22,990 --> 00:13:25,150 S2: is just kind of running counter to what the RBA 247 00:13:25,190 --> 00:13:26,949 S2: was doing just a few weeks ago. 248 00:13:26,990 --> 00:13:29,150 S1: Yeah, well, I'm no economist, but I definitely was swayed 249 00:13:29,150 --> 00:13:32,670 S1: by Shane's previous column in which he said that in 2022, 250 00:13:32,710 --> 00:13:36,229 S1: the Scott Morrison government have fuel excise for six months 251 00:13:36,590 --> 00:13:38,750 S1: as it desperately tried to stay in power. And that 252 00:13:38,750 --> 00:13:43,349 S1: single decision injected $5.5 billion into the pockets of consumers. 253 00:13:43,470 --> 00:13:47,190 S1: It's no surprise that inflation accelerated through that period, as 254 00:13:47,190 --> 00:13:49,990 S1: this 5.5 billion sloshed around the economy. Now that's six 255 00:13:49,990 --> 00:13:52,630 S1: months now. At the moment, the government has announced only 256 00:13:52,630 --> 00:13:56,430 S1: a three month fuel excise having. So it's it's obviously 257 00:13:56,429 --> 00:13:59,429 S1: a difference there. But we know that the Prime Minister 258 00:13:59,429 --> 00:14:01,670 S1: and the government in general was pressed on this at 259 00:14:01,670 --> 00:14:05,390 S1: the presser where journalists were asking questions, and our colleague 260 00:14:05,390 --> 00:14:08,990 S1: at the Australian Financial Review, Phil Currie, he asked, is 261 00:14:08,990 --> 00:14:11,510 S1: there any offsets for the fuel excise? You know, do 262 00:14:11,510 --> 00:14:13,440 S1: you have plans to pay for them somehow, or are 263 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,520 S1: we just going to add that to the pile when 264 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:18,719 S1: it comes budget time? And the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, sort 265 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,520 S1: of batted that away and said, well, we've got a 266 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:23,440 S1: long way to go to finalize the budget. So do 267 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,280 S1: you think they're as worried as the rest of us, 268 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,600 S1: or are they just not worried and we're just going 269 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,800 S1: to get kicked by inflation? 270 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,000 S2: I think Jim Chalmers should be very worried. And I 271 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,320 S2: think he is. He is worried and he's been flagging 272 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:36,240 S2: for the last few weeks as well. You know this 273 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:38,560 S2: is going to be a tough budget of hard decisions 274 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:41,000 S2: or tough decisions. People are ready for them. I think 275 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,760 S2: there's a lot riding on in terms of public expectation 276 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,720 S2: for the government to use its, you know, giant majority 277 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:51,280 S2: to to take some kind of bold political move to 278 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,680 S2: address intergenerational inequality, for example. And I think Chalmers has 279 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:58,400 S2: flagged that that's also of interest to him. But now 280 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,720 S2: he's been handed this extra curveball. And, you know, this 281 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,800 S2: was also going to be a belt tightening budget. Well, 282 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:09,000 S2: it's just lost an extra $1.5 billion overnight in terms 283 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:13,090 S2: of fuel relief. So they will be really looking to 284 00:15:13,130 --> 00:15:17,290 S2: find those savings elsewhere in the budget while, you know, 285 00:15:17,330 --> 00:15:21,130 S2: delivering on these kind of more urgent cost of living 286 00:15:21,810 --> 00:15:24,930 S2: concerns of people, while at the same time any decisions 287 00:15:24,930 --> 00:15:27,530 S2: the government makes will also, you know, be part of 288 00:15:27,530 --> 00:15:30,210 S2: the picture that influences the RBA's decisions in terms of 289 00:15:30,210 --> 00:15:35,050 S2: it continues to raise rates. So no wonder Chalmers is 290 00:15:35,050 --> 00:15:36,930 S2: saying that a lot of these decisions are coming down 291 00:15:36,930 --> 00:15:40,330 S2: to the wire and still won't be finalised for several weeks. 292 00:15:40,930 --> 00:15:44,690 S2: There'll be lots of tired Treasury officials and bureaucrats around 293 00:15:44,690 --> 00:15:46,810 S2: Canberra as we approach mid-May, I'm sure. 294 00:15:48,330 --> 00:15:51,530 S1: Oh, I absolutely bet. Well, thanks for your time. 295 00:15:51,810 --> 00:15:53,090 S2: You're welcome. Thanks, Sam. 296 00:15:57,370 --> 00:16:00,850 S1: And in other news today, Sydney scientists have said in 297 00:16:00,850 --> 00:16:04,170 S1: a first of its kind paper that vaping probably causes 298 00:16:04,170 --> 00:16:08,610 S1: lung and oral cancer. This contradicts the idea that vaping 299 00:16:08,610 --> 00:16:11,690 S1: is a safer way to smoke, and boosts the urgency 300 00:16:11,690 --> 00:16:14,739 S1: of efforts to stop a new generation of young people 301 00:16:14,780 --> 00:16:20,220 S1: becoming addicted to nicotine and Porepunkah. Police killer Desi Freeman 302 00:16:20,220 --> 00:16:23,780 S1: was shot dead after seven months on the run. Police 303 00:16:23,780 --> 00:16:26,260 S1: were tipped off that Freeman was hiding in a shipping 304 00:16:26,260 --> 00:16:29,980 S1: container on a regional property. The search involved more than 305 00:16:29,980 --> 00:16:34,260 S1: 450 officers and has been described as the largest tactical 306 00:16:34,260 --> 00:16:38,900 S1: operation in Victorian policing history. For more coverage of this 307 00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:43,300 S1: developing story, details on Freeman's final moments and the squalid 308 00:16:43,340 --> 00:16:49,620 S1: Bush encampment where he died, visit our website's theage.com.au and smh.com.au. 309 00:16:52,060 --> 00:16:56,420 S1: Today's episode was produced by Josh towers. Our executive producer 310 00:16:56,420 --> 00:17:00,020 S1: is Tammy Mills, and our podcasts are overseen by Lisa 311 00:17:00,020 --> 00:17:04,020 S1: Muxworthy and Tom McKendrick. If you like our show, follow 312 00:17:04,020 --> 00:17:06,300 S1: The Morning Edition and leave a review for us on 313 00:17:06,300 --> 00:17:09,180 S1: Apple or Spotify. Thanks for listening.