Australia news live: Angus Taylor urges clarity on fuel crisis and says PM’s national address ‘could have been a social media post’

From 1h agoAngus Taylor accuses government of lack of clarity on fuel crisisTaylor, speaking to the Today Show earlier this morning, also accused the goverment of failing to provide clarity on the fuel crisis. double quotation markWhat we need is to know where the fuel is in the supply chain, where the gaps are, what the government is doing to fill them and is it unable to fill those gaps. We’re not getting that clarity, we’re not getting that transparency. Taylor says the Coalition provided such clarity during the AdBlue crisis.Taylor points out that with state leader Roger Cook declaring a state of emergency for Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia, “it’s not clear whether the federal government is leading here or the state hovernment”. double quotation markIt’s extremely confused and we’re getting now responses from state premiers which are muddying the waters on where we’re going with all of this. Leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPKey events1h agoAngus Taylor accuses government of lack of clarity on fuel crisis1h agoImprovements for Aṉangu behind changes to 99-year lease on Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa1h agoAustralia to attend UK summit on strait of Hormuz2h agoPM’s address ‘could have been a social media post’, Angus Taylor says2h agoWestern Australia fishing ban ‘makes no sense’, court told2h agoAustralia reacts to Albanese address2h agoWelcomeShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureMouse plague risk after rapid rise in rodent numbersMouse populations are reaching plague proportions across Australia’s key cropping zones, with scientists warning farmers to remain on high alert, AAP reports.CSIRO research points to concerning mouse numbers in paddocks stretching from Geraldton to Esperance in Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia.Monitoring zones have also recorded increased numbers across Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="210" data-entity-type="location">South Australia’s Adelaide Plains, Yorke Peninsula and Eyre Peninsula, along with parts of southern Queensland.Wimmera farmer and Australia" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="87555" data-entity-type="organization">Grain Producers Australia research and development spokesperson Andrew Weidemann has urged farmers to be prepared to bait for mice at sowing time in autumn.Scientists have warned struggling farmers to be on high alert for a possible mouse plague. Photograph: Rick Rycroft/APAustralia should ‘seriously consider’ US requests for help to open Strait of Hormuz, Taylor saysTaylor also says Australia should “seriously consider” any request made to help the US in opening up the Strait of Hormuz. double quotation markI certainly support supporting the US alliance, supporting the United States in opening up the Strait of Hormuz. What we don’t know is what requests have been made to the Australian government. We should seriously consider any request that has been made. Angus Taylor accuses government of lack of clarity on fuel crisisTaylor, speaking to the Today Show earlier this morning, also accused the goverment of failing to provide clarity on the fuel crisis. double quotation markWhat we need is to know where the fuel is in the supply chain, where the gaps are, what the government is doing to fill them and is it unable to fill those gaps. We’re not getting that clarity, we’re not getting that transparency. Taylor says the Coalition provided such clarity during the AdBlue crisis.Taylor points out that with state leader Roger Cook declaring a state of emergency for Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia, “it’s not clear whether the federal government is leading here or the state hovernment”. double quotation markIt’s extremely confused and we’re getting now responses from state premiers which are muddying the waters on where we’re going with all of this. Leader of the opposition, Angus Taylor. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPImprovements for Aṉangu behind changes to 99-year lease on Uluṟu-Kata TjuṯaDouglas SmithThe traditional owners of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa national park and the federal government have agreed to vary the park’s 99-year lease, creating more jobs and projects to support local communities.As part of the new lease, full-time employment targets for Aṉangu at the park are now required to reach 50% by 2030. Aṉangu businesses will also receive more help to win contracts.Since 2013, the Central Land Council (CLC) has helped traditional owners negotiate the latest agreement with Parks Australia. The agreement aims to help with the extreme cost of living out bush and invest in community-driven development projects.Reggie Uluru and Andre Tucker in the traditional owner-funded Mutitjulu pool at Uluru built as part of one of the 102 projects since 2006Since 2006, the CLC says it has supported traditional owners of the park and their communities in the cross-border region of Northern Territory, Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="210" data-entity-type="location">South Australia and Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia to use income from the park for Aṉangu education initiatives, recreational facilities, homeland infrastructure and other projects.In that time, traditional owners have invested almost $21m in 102 projects in their communities, many of them multi-year initiatives.The new agreement will also deliver “stronger protection for sacred sites and songlines”, CLC chief executive Les Turner said.He said: double quotation mark[There will be] tougher consequences for damage and more robust joint management principles informed by tjukurpa [pronounced JU-kurr-pa]. That may mean accepting guidance from Aṉangu about where and when to undertake traditional burning or when to close the park for cultural reasons. Turner said Parks Australia also agreed to recognise the traditional owners’ cultural and intellectual property, such as songs, dances, stories and cultural knowledge, and to seek their explicit permission to use it.‘Might as well have told us what he was going to have for dinner’: shadow minister lambasts address to the nationThe quips continue coming in thick and fast against Albanese’s address to the nation. The shadow minister for energy, Dan Tehan, tells ABC Radio: double quotation markHe might as well have told us what he was going to have for dinner last night. There was nothing new in it. He didn’t take the Australian people into his confidence. He made no commitments to transparency … there was no commitment from the prime minister to tell us whether ships have been cancelled, whether they’re being delayed, what our stock holdings are at the moment, where the shortages are, how many service stations are out of fuel, what they’re doing to make sure they’re getting fuel to those service stations – nothing. And yet the Australian people are worried. They’re deeply concerned. They have no idea about what is happening. And yet all we get from the prime minister is political messaging, which he’d been instructed to do. And he said this in the parliament yesterday by his federal director, and no reassurances whatsoever by the Australian people. I think everyone was just flabbergasted. Shadow energy minister, Dan Tehan, at a petrol station in Canberra last Friday. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPAustralia to attend UK summit on strait of HormuzAustralia will be attending the UK summit on the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping route for oil and gas that has been blocked by Iran, Marles confirmed. double quotation markWe will be participating in that. It’ll be a virtual meeting as I understand the next 24 hours and the foreign minister will be representing Australia at that meeting. It follows on from Australia signing up to the UK-led statement … all of those countries and very much Australia have an interest in seeing the straits of Hormuz opened as soon as possible. We will look to what Australia can do. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/ReutersMarles defends Albanese’s address to nationThe deputy prime minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, has defended the PM using an address to the nation to tell Australians they should go about their business as usual.Asked whether Albanese owed Australians more substance on ABC Radio, Marles said: double quotation markI think people are trying to come to terms with what all of this means and what they should be doing in this moment. I think that’s particularly the case as we head into the Easter weekend. Deputy prime minister, Richard Marles. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP‘More drilling’ the answer to Australia’s gas security, Angus Taylor saysAsked about the resource minister’s move to secure gas for local users, Taylor say he’s “always believed that we need to make sure that Australian gas is working hard for Australians”. double quotation markBut I also believe that the best way to achieve that is more drilling and more gas coming from under the ground. …we keep putting Band-Aids on bullet wounds across our economy whether it’s in gas whether it’s dealing with inflation or interest rates. What we need to do is solve the underlying problem – as I said upfront: we do need to make sure Australian gas is working hard for Australians but the best way to do that is to make sure gas is coming out from under the ground. In existing well-established basins, drilling can convert to more gas production quickly. It doesn’t take long, but we do need to make sure that we don’t get ourselves in this position again. PM’s address ‘could have been a social media post’, Angus Taylor saysThe opposition leader, Angus Taylor, has said the PM Anthony Albanese’s address to the nation last night was unnecessary, and “could have been a social media post”.Speaking to ABC Radio, Taylor said: double quotation markAt a time when Australians are wondering whether they can get away on their Easter holidays … what they need is confidence. They need clarity, not confusion. And last night’s address didn’t help. It could have been a social media post. Resources minister puts gas producers on noticeThe federal resources minister, Madeleine King, has formally put gas producers on notice to supply more gas locally or face restrictions on exports.King appeared on ABC Radio this morning explaining the action being taken in response to the potential shortfall in the east coast market (Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia and the Northern Territory are well supplied with gas). double quotation markYesterday I issued that notice of intent under the Australian domestic gas security measurement mechanism for the months of July, August and September. And that is based on the report of the ACCC … that forecasts – it’s a relatively small shortfall, … but the issue for me is that we are going into winter, and at a time when we see this international conflict in the Middle East causing disruption to supply. What this does is brings all the exporters to the table to prove that they will make sure that shortfall doesn’t come to pass … What’s really important is we don’t want to repeat of 2022 when we didn’t have these tools available to us when there was a gas shortage. Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia fishing ban ‘makes no sense’, court toldA controversial state ban that has left fish eaters without their favourite fillets was politically motivated, unreasonable and not based on science, a court has been told, Australian Associated Press reports.Catch limits for harvesting prized demersal species, including pink snapper, red emperor and dhufish, have been slashed along most of Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia’s vast coastline with a permanent commercial ban over a large stretch.Trawling companies are challenging restrictions that have prohibited their commercial operations off the Pilbara since January.A decision by the WA fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, was not based on a recommendation from the department and was made without consultation outside the existing legislation to manage the fishery.In his opening remarks at the supreme court in Perth, lawyer Eric Heenan said: double quotation markThe order made by the minister was unreasonable and a disproportionate use of power. The order cannot stand. The evidence will show the minister acted without any scientific assessment of the Pilbara fishery. Jarvis had acted hastily while under pressure from conservationists due to the demersal species stock situation in a large recreational fishery adjacent to Perth.Heenan argued the minister was “obsessed” with dolphin bio-catch from trawling, and the ban was “influenced by political considerations” and made “no economic sense”, he said.Catch limits of demersal fish have been slashed along most of Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia’s coastline. Photograph: Aaron Bunch/AAP