Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro has called on Chief Minister Natasha Fyles to show leadership and announce a formal Inquiry into fuel prices in the Territory.
Today in Adelaide, unleaded petrol was available for 153.9, in Sydney for 157.7 and Brisbane for 159.5—compared to Darwin where the average price is 195.7.
Mrs Finocchiaro said Territorians were paying almost 40 cents more per litre, and it was time for immediate action on out of control fuel prices.
“In addition to supporting the CLP Opposition’s pending proposed legislation to force retailers to publish profits, which was first raised by the ACCC back in 2015, Natasha Fyles must immediately announce an Inquiry under the Inquiries Act to tackle the consistently high prices Territorians are paying at the pump” Mrs Finocchiaro said.
“This would allow the Parliament to use its power to call witnesses, including fuel companies and industry experts, to probe them on why prices continue to be so high.”
The CLP Opposition’s announcement of the Fuel Disclosure Bill 2022 has already caused prices to begin downward (from a high of 210 in mid-July), but they remain inexplicably higher than the rest of the country. This is having a negative impact on weekly household bills, but also impacting business and all other products through higher freight costs.
“While Natasha Fyles and the Labor Government have been silent on fuel and cost of living, we have been doing their work for them,” she said.
“The combination of a Fuel Inquiry and the CLP’s pending legislation should mean that we get answers but also real action on fuel prices.
“An outcome from this inquiry could include a cap on profits and/or prices as just one solution to this problem. “Natasha Fyles and Labor need to stop the excuses, stop blaming others and get on with looking after Territorians.”
ENDS