Welcome back to the Newslist for Week 7! Here we cover some major events which have occurred both nationally and internationally in the past week.
Five weeks into the war in Iran, Australia continues to feel the burden of the global fuel shortage, as measures are made on both the national and state level to respond to the crisis.
On Monday, 30 March, the Albanese government revealed the National Fuel Security Plan, detailing the government’s response to ongoing fuel shortages. The Prime Minister said that the country currently sits at stage two, with the government prioritising efforts to secure fuel. From Wednesday 1 April this included a cut of the fuel excise, reducing the cost of petrol and diesel by 26.3c per litre.
Further cuts on 2 April will save Australians more money, as the states and territories agreed to return the GST windfall to Australians, resulting in a combined savings of approximately 32 cents a litre.
Furthermore, Victoria and Tasmania announced that they will offer free public transport on select services including trains, trams and buses, a move to protect the budgets of both Victorians and Tasmanians.
The NSW transport minister John Graham told broadcasters that the NSW government “will not be going down the path of free public transport for a couple of days or months.” He said this would save the government millions of dollars per day – money the government needs to get through the crisis in the long term, if the war is prolonged.
This comes before Albanese spoke directly to the nation on 1 April, instructing Australians to switch from driving to public transport “where possible,” following the Easter long-weekend.
This response contrasts global responses, particularly those in Asia which has borne the brunt of the shortages. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, The Philippines and Thailand are just some of the nations introducing shortened work weeks and work from home to promote fuel conservation.
In other news, fugitive Dezi Freeman was shot dead last Monday morning, following a seven-month manhunt after he allegedly killed two police officers in rural Victoria.
The Victoria Police Chief Commissioner, Mike Bush, confirmed that the shooting concluded Operation Summit, the police investigation into the shooting.
In other news, on 1 April, new bans were announced targeting gambling ads. This includes preventing gambling ads from targeting sports fans, ads from appearing on jerseys, jumpers and in stadiums, preventing celebrities and public figures from appearing in ads, and restricting their promotion on television and radio platforms.
Finally, the Sydney Royal Easter Show started on 2 April at the Sydney Olympic Park Showground. In spite of existing fuel concerns, general manager Murray Wilton reveals that 75-80,000 visitors are expected to attend per day, while exhibitors commit to remaining within the show.