Fri, 27th June 2008
As oil reaches $140 a barrel Kevin Rudd must stop hiding behind excuses
Luke Hartsuyker
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Buisness in the House Business Development, Independent contractors and Consumer Affairs
With the cost of a barrel of oil reaching $140 overnight, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd must set aside the stunts and useless rhetoric by acting immediately to help Australians facing further increases in the cost of living, Shadow Minister for Business Development, Independent Contractors and Consumer Affairs, Luke Hartsuyker, said today.
“It’s time for Mr Rudd to stop hiding behind excuses, stop posturing with mindless rhetoric and start taking responsibility as the nation’s Prime Minister.
“To date Kevin Rudd is guilty of talking tough on delivering cheaper fuel and groceries, but in reality he is doing nothing.
“Just look at the Rudd Government’s performance in the past few weeks.
“First we had the FuelWatch scheme being sold as the saviour from higher fuel prices. That was until it was revealed that his own department believes FuelWatch could actually increase the cost of petrol and diesel.
“Then we had Mr Rudd thumping his chest and saying we must “apply the blow torch” to the petroleum producing countries in order to increase supply of oil and bring down the price. But when Mr Rudd’s Resource Minister Martin Ferguson attended a meeting with OPEC the issue was not even raised.
“And this week the charade of the Government’s planned $13 million GroceryWatch website was exposed when the Assistant Treasurer, Chris Bowen, admitted it won’t deliver cheaper groceries.
“Australians have had enough of the cheap rhetoric and the stunts. They are genuinely looking to the Government to honour its pre-election commitment to put downward pressure on fuel and grocery prices.
“The time has come for Mr Rudd to act. Australians want to know what he is doing to help them with the rising cost of living or whether, after just seven months, we have a Prime Minister who has run out of ideas,” Mr Hartsuyker said.