Albanese’s next step must address the fuel crisis and assure the public |
Albanese’s next step must address the fuel crisis and assure the public
March 27, 2026 — 4:45pm
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Rule No.1 in politics is that leaders should always project capability and certainty, even in the most uncertain times. When COVID-19 reached our shores, public anxiety about lockdowns and supply chains resulted in consumers stockpiling toilet paper, pasta, meat, baby formula and paracetamol.
The pandemic was a global event, its causes and effects ranging far beyond the capabilities of any single nation’s leadership to control. At that point, the power of federal and state governments to reassure became particularly important.
The decision of the United States and Israel to wage war on Iran, and Iran’s decision to restrict tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation, have already hit our economy hard, despite Australia having had no input into either one (though perhaps Prime Minister Anthony Albanese might have hoped for some sort of warning from our closest security ally of its intentions).
The main source of anxiety this time around is fuel. As Energy Minister Chris Bowen stands up in parliament to deliver daily tallies of petrol stations running dry, and the opposition responds by reading out stories of personal........