Labor Goes Global To Squib A Squabble
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday June 17, 2008
THE Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, has called for calm over petrol, saying it was a global problem that would not be helped by squabbling at home.
With the Government again under attack from the Opposition yesterday, Mr Ferguson said the reasons for high prices were many and an international response was required. "It's about time we understood that it's a serious debate not only confronting Australia but also the global community," he said.Mr Ferguson will represent Australia at an emergency international conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this weekend. A Herald/Nielsen poll published yesterday showed 78 per cent of voters wanted the Government to take action on petrol prices. Of these, 67 per cent - which translates to 52 per cent of all voters - advocated cutting fuel excise. Only 22 per cent supported Labor's FuelWatch scheme.In a Newspoll published in The Australian newspaper today the Coalition slipped in the two-party preferred stakes from 43 per cent to 41 per cent. Dr Nelson's popularity as preferred prime minister also slipped, falling 4 points to 13 per cent. Responding to the Herald poll, Mr Rudd said the Government had received the message "loud and clear" but rejected the demand by the Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, that he cut fuel excise by five cents a litre. He said the tax cuts and other relief measures in the budget were a more economically responsible way of helping people with the increased cost of petrol and other necessities, and his Government had a longer-term strategy that included developing a green car industry in Australia. He warned it was the worst global oil shock in 30 years and said predicting future oil prices was difficult. "It's a very murky future that we face," he told ABC1's 7.30 Report. In Parliament he said Dr Nelson was "Captain Negative" and was driven by "cheap tabloid politics, not responsible economic management". CommSec predicted petrol prices would rise to $1.75 a litre within a fortnight.
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald