Greens support legislation making it mandatory for all petrol stations to record price changes at the bowser through an online portal that can be accessed by consumers.
Ms JENNY LEONG (Newtown) [10.50 a.m.]: I make a brief contribution to debate on the Fair Trading Amendment (Fuel Price Transparency) Bill 2016 in part to highlight the obvious raw nerve of those opposite in relation to the story that appeared in this morning's edition of the Sydney Morning Herald, which states Liberal member of the Legislative Council the Hon. Peter Phelps "goes berserk" over ethanol mandate legislation. It appears that my colleague the member for Ballina hit that raw nerve when she spoke to the bill. It is worthwhile putting on record that perhaps the reaction to the member's quite reasoned argument was because in 2015 the Minister made a commitment to introduce a package of reforms that would adopt a number of the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal review recommendations, of which this bill is a part. The Government is perhaps a little sensitive about any mention of ethanol because there has been some heated debate behind the scenes.
As the member for Ballina said at the commencement of her speech, The Greens do not oppose the Fair Trading Amendment (Fuel Price Transparency) Bill 2016. The legislation makes it mandatory for all petrol stations to record price changes at the bowser through an online portal that can be accessed by consumers. As the member for Ballina said, that makes great sense. We support that change. The member also said that the suite of measures and package of reforms recommended and announced by the Minister included the report entitled, "Final Report—Ethanol mandate—Options to increase the uptake of ethanol blended petrol—May 2015". I do not think anyone in this Chamber would disagree that the bill is part of a legislative package that will come to us in the next little while and which will include the ethanol bill. So why not flag our serious concerns about ethanol and the fact that Manildra has a monopoly and exerts undue political influence?
Mr Gareth Ward: Point of order: My point of order is under Standing Order 76 relating to relevance, as well as standing orders prohibiting debate on matters that may be coming before the House. The member for Newtown is clearly foreshadowing such matters and she is outside the leave of the bill. I ask that the member be drawn back to the leave of the bill or directed to resume her seat.
TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Mr Bruce Notley-Smith): Order! I uphold the point of order. The member for Newtown will return to the leave of the bill.
Ms JENNY LEONG: I conclude by saying that The Greens will not oppose the Fair Trading Amendment (Fuel Price Transparency) Bill 2016. Other suites of measures and packages will be discussed when they come before the House. I await with interest and much anticipation that debate in this place, given the raw nerve that we may have hit for Government members.
