Australia Faces Fuel Crisis, PM Albanese Says Securing Oil Supplies Will Be Difficult

Australia’s fuel supplies look adequate in the short term, but will become more difficult in the coming months, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday (27/3). In a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra regarding the worsening fuel crisis in the country, Albanese said the government is “working tirelessly” to “put together the strongest possible plan”, as well as preparing and over-preparing for what might happen. Albanese mentioned his “positive” engagement with Malaysia, a key oil supplier to Australia, as well as with the broader ASEAN region. Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said that supplies of petrol, diesel, and oil in the country remain the same. “The government has always acknowledged that there is a real and unacceptable shortage in regional Australia because demand has increased so high, and it takes time to build up that strong domestic supply,” Bowen said. Albanese will also hold a national cabinet meeting on Monday (30/3) to discuss the fuel crisis. Earlier on the same day, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor asked the government to temporarily cut fuel taxes in half for three months. The government on Wednesday (25/3) acknowledged that around 470 fuel stations across Australia had run out of at least one type of fuel. (Ant/P-3) A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered a global fuel crisis. See the list of severely affected countries, from Australia, Japan, to India. A surge in demand triggered by panic buying has disrupted distribution.