Price fuels call to action
MPs unite over ‘gouging’ at Tassie petrol pumps
FEDERAL Labor Lyons MP Brian Mitchell says petrol prices in Tasmania are “far too high”, and has called for the nation’s consumer watchdog’s powers to be beefed up.
Tasmanian fuel prices have remained high despite dramatic falls in the global wholesale price of fuel and Mr Mitchell said consumers were being gouged.
“They’re far too high, and they’re out of whack with the wholesale price,” Mr Mitchell said.
“I think people understand that prices go up and down according to global prices, but I think what we’re finding is they go up very quickly when global prices go up, but they come down very slowly when global prices go down.”
According to CommSec’s fuel-watch platform MotorMouth, the average price for unleaded in Hobart is 159.1c a litre, which is the highest in the country and 36.5c above the wholesale price.
Resources Minister Sarah Courtney said on Saturday the high prices were unacceptable and the State Government would take the matter to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Mr Mitchell said the ACCC’s powers could be extended.
“We need to beef up the powers of the ACCC, so that it can take stronger action,” he said.
“I want the ACCC to be saying to petrol companies and service stations ‘If you don’t bring prices down in line with global prices, we will take strong and immediate action against you’.
“If the ACCC’s advice to the parliament is they don’t have the powers to do that, they need to be telling us what powers they do need and I will fight for those powers.”
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam said yesterday he supported the State Government’s actions in taking the matter to the ACCC.
“For too long Tasmanians have been paying a premium for petrol, and it’s time to understand exactly why,” Senator Duniam said.
“We must ensure that any reasonable action the Federal Government can take to assist families with the cost of fuel is taken following any ACCC re- port — especially at this time of year when household costs are so very high.”
There was some respite at one Tasmanian petrol station at the weekend, with unleaded fuel 129.9c a litre at Tas Petroleum in Brighton.
Tas Petroleum said on its Facebook page on Saturday that it had sold out of unleaded petrol due to the overwhelming response, but it was back in business from 7am yesterday, selling at the same price.