Food shortages loom across Australia as Mallee farmers warn Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP that fuel prices will see markets refuse to buy their fruit due to affordability.

On Thursday morning Dr Webster spoke on the Albanese Labor Government’s rushed legislation reacting to the fuel supply crisis.

“This is panic legislating from a Government accusing Australians of panic buying,” Dr Webster told Parliament on Thursday morning. (Audio / Video available via Youtube here)

“I told the House this morning that I had just got off the phone from a Robinvale food producer who said the produce market won’t pay the higher price for his produce due to fuel prices rising.  Growers are making the painful decision whether to harvest or sacrifice their crop.  No crop means no pay – the business suffers a further loss and, in many cases, will go deeper into debt or simply fold.

“It is also frightening to hear that 1 in 5 farmers are considering not sowing a crop this year.  The alarm bells at the Lodge should be ringing.  Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister and the buck stops with him.”

“Today’s ‘fairer fuels’ legislation protects trucking companies, which is important and worthwhile because small companies often don’t have the power to negotiate. However, today’s legislation addresses one part of the supply chain - who can now increase transport costs - impacting the whole supply chain. 

“Farmers and shoppers will, yet again, wear the cost of Labor’s ineptitude.”

“For weeks Energy Minister Chris Bowen has been saying there isn’t a fuel supply problem and now, suddenly, there’s a crisis!  Fuel standards are being relaxed to support supply, and supply ships are being secured because others had been cancelled.

“The Albanese Labor Government are not fit for office.  They have been figuring this out on the run because the Minister is not up to the job.”

Dr Webster said there was no panic buying in Mallee, farmers were buying diesel firstly to ensure they can sow or spray a crop and earn an income, and secondly in a vote of no-confidence in the Government.

“Mallee residents have been absolutely justified doing what they can to ensure they, their small business, farm or family have what they need to get through this crisis.

“Labor have been utterly out-of-line blaming Australians for the fuel supply crisis that has happened on their watch.”

In Government, The Nationals in Coalition spent $260 million to increase Australia’s diesel storage by 40 per cent – storages that stood Australia in good stead for the current supply shock due to the Iran war.