Have Your Say

TRANSCRIPT: PRIME 7 INTERVIEW WITH SAM COSTIN

11 March 2026

Subjects: Fuel prices in the Riverina

E&OE 

Sam COSTIN

Can I get your name and role, please?

 

Michael McCORMACK

Michael McCormack, Federal Member for the Riverina.

 

Sam COSTIN

So it’s no secret that there are some significant struggles which feel particularly in Wagga and the Riverina. From your understanding, where are we up to at the moment?

 

Michael McCORMACK

Well, Chris Bowen is going to address the Parliament, as I understand, today about the situation. And it is a parliament situation. Oh, I just think we need to see the Energy Minister come clean about the exact reserves we hold in Australia and not beat around the bush. Tell us what the Government intends to do to allay the fears of farmers and motorists, particularly those in regional Australia. We’re hearing reports of petrol theft, and if people do have their petrol stolen, I can only suggest they ring Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Report it to police. We can’t have panic buying. That is absolutely something that does not need to happen. The US president, Donald Trump, has obviously gone out this morning and said that hopefully the war will be over within days. Epic Fury. What they’re doing in Iran. And that is really important because, what we need to see is calm across the regions. I’m getting reports of farmers not being able to have distributors load up the fuel tanks, their storage on farms, which means that they can’t begin the sowing season. And that could be disastrous for Australia’s food security. I’m hearing reports of farmers’ mental health, being in a state where if they can’t get fuel, then they are really worried about their mental health. And that is not a good situation. And of course, we’ve got motorists who can’t fill up at the petrol bowsers at the fuel stations in Wagga Wagga and elsewhere. That’s not good either. So, you know, it’s one of those things the situation is unfolding by the hour, and we very much wait and see what Chris Bowen is going to tell the Parliament, particularly in Question Time today, because I know he’s going to come under some scrutiny and needs to have the answers. There are two refineries still in Australia. What is the Government doing to help them stock up? Can they look at the fuel excise? Can they even indeed, mandate an ethanol situation whereby we look to that for very much our long-term fuel security and sovereign capability when it comes to fuel reserves. All these things are in the mix. The Government has the leads which they can pull to enable this situation to be sorted out. What are they going to do?

 

Sam COSTIN

It sounds like you are particularly looking for clarity here, because obviously, you know, we’re seeing an impact that’s already on the ground with panic buying. Today we’re still saying that a service station in Junee has come across take fuel from Wagga back to Junee to sell it. That’s a desperate situation. Do you feel like the Government’s not being honest about where we’re up to?

 

Michael McCORMACK

Well, you’d like to think that the Government will be very frank about this. The price of fuel, of course, in regional Australia is way too high in some areas. It’s gone up $0.60 a litre for E10, let alone diesel. So this is a very alarming situation. I’ve spoken to some farmers who had absolutely no fuel whatsoever apart from the fuel in their tractors now. And that’s almost at an empty tank. So they can’t work. They can’t operate. Let alone the truck drivers, let alone the trucking companies, which supply all our goods right across the nation. And, when we see supermarket shelves empty because the trucks can’t get the food supplies to the supermarkets and on the shelves, that’s going to be a disastrous situation. So it’s not just about fuel security, it’s also about food security, and it’s about the way our nation runs. But we can’t have panic buying. It’s not to that stage yet, but it’s an unfolding situation that’s unfolding by the hour.

 

Sam COSTIN

Well, is there anything else you want to add?

 

Michael McCORMACK

No, I think that’ll do.

 

Sam COSTIN

Thank you so much.

 

Michael McCORMACK

Okay. Thank you.

 

ENDS

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