A Tasmanian MP is calling for action over the state’s “outrageous” fuel prices.
Clark independent MP Andrew Wilkie said the delay in the decrease of the cost of fuel at the pump in Australia has been unacceptable.
“The situation in Tasmania is especially problematic where the consistently more expensive fuel cannot be explained by higher freight cost,’’ Mr Wilkie said yesterday.
“The discrepancy between Tasmania and the mainland must be remedied.”
He said the Federal Government needed to step in.
“The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission apparently lacks the teeth to fix the problem, so there is a compelling case for immediate government action in the market,” Mr Wilkie said.
A Treasury spokesman said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had spoken to ACCC chairman Rod Sims about the importance of holding petrol retailers to account and ensuring all Australians received the benefits of lower oil prices.
“The ACCC plays a monitoring role with respect to prices at the bowser and the ACCC has assured the Treasurer that they will maintain a strong monitoring role while also calling out energy companies that do not pass on the reduction in wholesale prices to Australian consumers,” they said. This comes as RACT group chief executive Mark Mugnaioni said last week that Tasmanian motorists were paying on average $335,000 a day more for fuel than they believed they should be.
“We’ve been watching the wholesale price fall rapidly, and very little movement in the retail price, which is disappointing,” he said.
“Tasmanians already have enough going on in their daily lives with the impacts of COVID-19 without the unnecessary pressure of paying too much for fuel.
“Given current market conditions, we believe an average price difference of about 14 cents per litre between wholesale and retail is acceptable.
“What we’re seeing now from retailers is simply not good enough.”
Extracted from Courier Mail