TRANSCRIPT – Channel 7 Sunrise

Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Attorney-General
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia

25 MARCH 2026

Channel 7 Sunrise

Topics: Fuel crisis, potential $40 cap on fuel

E&OE

Natalie Barr

For their take, let’s bring in Housing Minister Clare O’Neil and Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash. Good morning to both of you. Clare, a $40 cap on fuel. Would you consider it?

Clare O’Neil

Nat, the document that you referred to there is not a current document, and it’s not something that’s being actively considered at the moment. For viewers at home, this is a really stressful time. People are worried. And how could you not be? On the television every night, there’s conflict and violence, and you’re seeing that in your own family budget, at the petrol bowser. What I want people at home to know is that this is the main focus of the Australian government right now. We absolutely see the impact this is having, not just on households, but increasingly on businesses across the economy, and we’re doing everything we can to work with state and territory leaders, who have really significant powers here to make sure that we’re managing this situation as best as the country can. One of the things that’s really important is Australia arrives at this with a position of strength. We have a strong, robust, resilient economy, but there are going to be impacts because of these massive global events, and the government’s going to work very diligently to manage those for the country.

Natalie Barr

Yeah. And we are feeling the impact at the bowser, some people a lot worse than others. Michaelia, a $40 cap. Would you consider that? It is an old book. It is an outdated playbook. It was formed in 2019 but it’s there as a possibility.

Senator Cash

Well, the government needs to come clean with the Australian people, and I have no confidence based on what Clare’s just said. Apparently they understand that people are doing it tough, but they are doing nothing to alleviate that pain. I mean, for three weeks, Nat, this government denied there was an issue with fuel in Australia. Then they said it was the Australian people’s fault. You topped up one too many times at the bowser. Australians are fronting at bowsers, and they have no fuel. And yet this government, as Clare has just said, apparently – I don’t know what you’re doing, Clare, you’re having meeting after meeting. Be up front with the Australian people. Do we have a fuel crisis in Australia or not? Clare, can this government guarantee supply to the Australian people? But more than that, you have the granular detail. You know, because of the framework that we put in place, where all the fuel is in Australia. You say there’s not a supply problem, and yet, over 166 bowsers, they have run dry. Clare, why are you not directing the fuel companies to get tankers to those bowsers that have run dry? You keep on saying there’s a problem. You’re having meetings. The Australian people deserve action. Here is some action. You know where the fuel is. Get the fuel to where it needs to be so when the Australian people are turning up at the bowser, they’re not dry.

Natalie Barr

Yeah. Clare, a lot of people don’t understand if there’s the same amount of ships, or roughly, coming into this country, if there’s the ‘don’t panic’ message from the Government, where is the hiccup? Why isn’t the fuel getting to the petrol pumps?

Clare O’Neil

Nat, we have more fuel in Australia circulating in the economy at the moment than we did before the conflict.

Natalie Barr

So why isn’t it coming out of the bowser?

Senator Cash

Where is it, Clare? Even I’m confused by that response. Where is it?

Clare O’Neil

You seem to be confused by quite a bit Michaelia.

Senator Cash

Seriously?

Natalie Barr

Clare?

Clare O’Neil

The issue that we’re having is that in certain parts of the country, demand has spiked up to threefold. Basically, there are parts of the country which are consuming three times as much petrol as would normally occur. Now any supply chain in the country, it doesn’t matter what good or product we’re talking about, if you see, effectively, overnight, a three fold increase in demand, the supply chain, that is how that fuel is circulating around the economy is going to experience issues. And I don’t downplay it. If you’re in a regional town and your local petrol station is out of petrol, this is one of the biggest issues in your life right now. What I can tell you is that nationally, we have the fuel circulating in the economy that we need. There are distributional issues, which we are working through with states and territories.

Natalie Barr

When will they be worked through?

Clare O’Neil

They have really important powers here.

Natalie Barr

Clare, when will they be worked through? Because we know in the country, this has happened for three weeks now. You have dozens of stations in the city with no fuel, like literally no fuel. When do you think they will have fuel?

Clare O’Neil

Nat, I really appreciate what you’re saying. And again, I would not downplay this issue for households. This is a real serious concern, and fuel is critical to every single person who lives in our country. So I’m not downplaying it. I’m just telling you it is inevitable that we are going to experience challenges when overnight, we have, effectively, three fold increases in demand in certain parts of the country.

Natalie Barr

Affecting the whole lot of it?

Clare O’Neil

The government is doing exactly what is needed right now. That is, making sure we have a national supply of fuel, and that is the case, and then we work with the states and territories to make sure that that’s being distributed. It is not possible, given what’s happened, to demand that there not be a single issue in the supply chain. We see the seriousness of it, and that is why the government’s main focus energy and attention right now is on helping the country manage this difficult problem.

Natalie Barr

Okay, quickly before we go, Michaelia, the Tasmanian Government –

Senator Cash

With all due respect.

Natalie Barr

Hang on, Michaelia –

Senator Cash

Just with all due respect, Nat, that is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. Clare has just admitted on national TV that there is so much fuel sloshing around in this country they don’t know what to do with it. Well, Claire, I can tell you what to do with it. You have the granular detail. You have just admitted on national TV, there is not a supply problem, but bowsers are dry. There’s 166 in this country that are dry. You can get tankers today to those 166 stations. Stop making excuses. Stop treating the Australian people like mugs. You’ve just admitted there’s fuel sloshing around the country. Well, if it’s sloshing around, Clare, I hate to tell you, get Chris Bowen in a blasted tanker and get him to drive it to those stations. The Australian people deserve better. But more than that, they deserve fuel.

Clare O’Neil

Okay, let me just quickly respond to that. Firstly, Michaelia, that is, let’s do each other the courtesy of not twisting each other’s words. No one is saying that there are not significant issues facing the country with fuel right now. What we need to do is manage this calmly and methodically, not get personal and hysterical. The way that the government needs to manage this is making sure that we need that we’ve got the fuel in the country that we need. That is the case today, and for us to calmly work through issues across the supply chain, that is exactly what the government is doing.

Senator Cash

Australians are panicking, Clare. They’re getting mixed messages from you.

Natalie Barr

Sounds like the trucks can’t get it out there. It’s a distribution problem. Yeah, okay, and maybe Chris Bowen, thank you very much. We’ve got to leave it there.