**In short: **
The government has halved the fuel excise, reducing the cost of petrol and diesel by 26.3 cents a litre for three months.
The heavy road user charge will also be reduced to zero for the same period, taking pressure off truck drivers and transport costs.
Govt responds to fuel shortage by pushing the price down, thereby increasing consumption and maintaining dependence.
This is fine.
Long term it would be bad. High prices help hasten energy transition and energy independence but the collapse of the Libs has left a very dangerous power vacuum.
Hopefully Trump dies of natural causes or gets the 25th soon and the disruptions in the gulf ends.
Meanwhile Labor needs to be seen to be doing popular things to keep the fossil fuel and billionaire funded populists to 20%
Government is always about finding a balance, not being perfect.
Hmm, yes, “politics is the art of the possible”, good point.
Although, in a few weeks when it becomes clear that the govt effectively sat on it’s hands and did stuff all while the obvious situation unfolded predictably, that’s not going to be great for their polling numbers either.
They have been getting fuel into the country and trying to support critical industries and combat price increases. There is a limit. We aren’t about to sanction the USA or start a war with them. Global oil prices aren’t something our government can control.
Whatever they do it’s going to end with fuel rationing I think. Odd and even plate days etc. Seen it all before. People forget quickly how vulnerable we are to disruptions in the global supply chain.
Cutting fuel excise is likely a poor decision conomically but there is a constant theme I see online, don’t know where it comes from, that this government does nothing. They are obviously doing a hell of a lot and perhaps more than they should. It isn’t being reported or understood for some reason.
Defenestration is natural causes for Russian Agents.
But Russia do not currently have the resources to liquidate their asset.
and don’t forget the lost revenue made up with more federal debt.
With logic like this from a dev I’m glad I’m never joining piefed.
I bet you fly the red ensign