Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief)

“We know that there's a lot of anxiety out in our communities associated with the challenges of the war overseas. We know that part of that is due to the cost of fuel, which increases the cost of living. This Labor government hears you. We are acting. It's at times like this that we need to keep Australia moving. That's what this bill does, alongside other measures that this responsible government has taken. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“Whilst we cannot control international conflicts, we absolutely can control how we respond to them here at home. We are responding by always backing working Australians. We are responding by actively supporting small family businesses. This bill is measured, responsible and an immediate economic response to a global crisis. It delivers real financial relief, it supports our most vital national supply chains and it reliably helps local families balance tight household budgets during these tough and demanding times. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“The latest piece of action that we are taking is to reduce the fuel excise, halving it for the next three months so that every litre of petrol and diesel that people need is going to be more affordable for them. Everyone in this place will have been hearing from their communities about the uncertainty around fuel, the cost of fuel and the impact that that is having. Canberrans are not immune; we have had petrol stations running out of fuel here as well. So this is really a welcome step that our government is taking.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“We know the global situation is changing rapidly, but Australians can be assured their government's focus is on easing cost-of-living pressures, securing our fuel supply and getting it where and when it is needed most. I commend the bill to the House.”

Australian Labor Party • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“So it's a very important decision from this government to halve the fuel excise, reducing the cost of fuel by 26.3c per litre. If you've got an average sized car and you put about 65 litres in a tank, that will save $19. And that saving of $19, every time you fill up between 1 April and 30 June, will make a difference to families. It'll also make a difference to businesses.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“This Bill will deliver temporary and targeted support to Australian motorists and truckies in a responsible way.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“The bill also provides additional flexibility to make further adjustments to the rate of excise, if needed, to give effect to the undertaking from the states at the National Cabinet on GST. The government's focus is on easing cost-of-living pressures, securing our fuel supply and getting it to where it's needed the most. The steps we're taking in this bill today are in addition to all of the actions we've already taken to date to support supply and distribution and empower the ACCC to crack down on misconduct. I commend the bill to the Senate.”

Australian Labor Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“The coalition supports this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill, because Australians need immediate relief and they need it now. Families and small businesses right across Australia and in the electorate of Cook are under real pressure. My office is getting emails about people struggling with the cost of living, struggling with fuel bills and being unable to make ends meet and get by.”

Liberal Party • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“Fuel security is national security, and Australia can do better in this area and must do better in this area. We welcome the government bringing on the excise cut, but the amendments from the shadow Treasurer are eminently sensible, and I encourage the government to look at them to make a necessary measure in the legislation even better and to make sure that it considers inflation and the inflationary pressures of anything it might do when making a decision, which is why we talked about offsets.”

National Party • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“I rise to support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. I think it's in the best interests of Australia that we support the government to do this. This is also the position of the coalition. And Australians need immediate relief. Removing half of the fuel excise and the heavy vehicle road user charge will go some way to alleviating those pressures, particularly for the transport industry.”

Liberal National Party • MP • 31 Mar 2026

“(): I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026, a bill that comes before the Senate only because Australians have been pushed to the brink of a fuel crisis and the government has acted too late. The opposition supports this legislation because fuel prices sit at the centre of the cost-of-living pressure. In these circumstances, temporary relief through fuel excise is necessary, and that is why the opposition will not stand in the way of a measure that provides direct, immediate assistance to Australians who are already doing it tough.”

Liberal Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“We support the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 because Australians need immediate relief. Families and small businesses are under genuine pressure, and reducing costs at the bowser will make a meaningful difference, particularly ahead of Easter, when families are travelling and budgets are already stretched. Tradies, transport operators and small-business owners will see direct cost relief, and that of course is welcome. But let's not pretend this moment arrived without a fight. The coalition proposed this earlier. We put forward a responsible plan—one that included offsets, to avoid pouring fuel on an inflation fire. The government dragged its feet, and, in the meantime, the crisis deepened. This legislation, however, we welcome.”

Liberal Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“So, when the Treasurer says the fuel excise relief in this bill is temporary, timely and responsible, he's only right in one of those three claims. It's not timely, because it's too late, too little, according to our truckies; it's not responsible, because the government has not matched this spend with a commensurate save in the federal budget; but it's definitely temporary. This is exactly why we need a select Senate committee to the government's response to the crisis in the Middle East. The compounding influence and impact of the government's failure in this regard; the ad hoc way they are adopting measures instead of a planned, proportionate response; the flat-footedness, particularly in the first four weeks; the flow-on impact that that will have right across our economy. Economists are saying that will have impacts over years, not just the weeks to come. I would encourage the Senate to think about a select committee, as we did for COVID. But we will be supporting this excise cut.”

National Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“The government is finally doing something, and we are grateful for that. Adopting the coalition's policy is a good thing, so we will be supporting this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. However, what is so starkly obvious again in this place, today and through this week in parliament, is that the government has no plan to deal with this crisis.”

Liberal Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“One Nation continues to set the agenda in this parliament and this country. While the major parties keep on claiming One Nation has no policies, they keep on copying them or adopting them. This happened a number of times during last year's federal election campaign. Labor has taken almost a year to implement One Nation's 2025 election policy to halve the fuel excise. Just as we did at the election, we advocated this policy as a measure to reduce the cost of living that has soared under this Labor government. It has taken a crisis exposing Australia's fuel insecurity for Labor to finally act. Obviously, they haven't been keeping up with us, because we've since upgraded that demand to a 100 per cent cut for three months. We advocate this policy, which would provide twice as much relief to motorists, farmers, miners and the transport industry as Labor's does.”

Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“The Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026 implements a 50 per cent cut in petrol and diesel duty and suspends the road user charge. One Nation will support this sensible measure to reduce the cost of petrol by 31c for everyday Australians and 32.5c for the trucking industry. This will keep the trucks moving, putting food on the shelves at the supermarket, stock in the shops, medical supplies in hospitals and dentists and ensuring the economy doesn't melt down entirely as a result of the war in Iran.”

Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party • Senator • 31 Mar 2026

“I rise to speak on the Treasury Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026. I acknowledge and support the intent of this bill. We are seeing fuel prices skyrocketing, and that flows through to everything—to groceries, freight and the broader cost of living that Australians have been struggling with for many years now. In that context, it's right that the government looks for ways to provide relief. But good intentions by themselves do not make good policy, and this bill and this policy have some very significant flaws. Despite these concerns, I won't be opposing this bill, in recognition of the urgent need for relief provided by cutting the fuel excise in half. But I would like to take this opportunity to put on the record some of my concerns and the concerns of experts and a number of Canberrans who have contacted my office.”

Independent • Senator • 31 Mar 2026