KATTER’S Australian Party candidate for Herbert, Clynton Hawks, says government inaction on fuel sovereignty is to blame for the choke-hold oil companies have over Australian consumers. 

“Everyone complains about the petrol stations hiking their prices ahead of Easter or a public holiday, but complaining about the fuel cycle misses the point. 

“Australian motorists are the playthings of the international oil companies, speculators and opportunists. 

“But we wouldn’t be in this situation if we weren’t so dependent on imports to begin with.” 

“Oil companies have gaslit Australian consumers, blaming excise taxes for the cost of fuel while pricing-out homegrown alternatives like E-10, which are cheaper to produce and help our cane farmers diversify their product.  

“Excise tax in Australia is amongst the lowest in the world – more so now with the recent temporary cut. 

“The reason for the high cost of fuel in Australia is the fact we import 90% of our oil where prices are set by speculators in offices in Singapore.”   

Mr Hawks said Australia is a price-taker for liquid fuel on the world stage and only a strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil will free us of that.   

“Australian motorists are held hostage by international oil interests and generations of successive governments have got Stockholm Syndrome because they are letting it happen. 

“We need to wake up and see that the Katter’s Australian Party is the common sense choice at the election, because only the KAP has a plan for our nation to achieve fuel sovereignty.”