Archer backs away from promise on petrol and admits she will do nothing

Tasmanian Labor

Consumer Affairs Minister Elise Archer has walked away from a promise to introduce laws to control out-of-control petrol prices, badly letting down Tasmanians struggling to make ends meet at the bowser.

Shadow Consumer Affairs Minister Jen Butler said for months and again yesterday Ms Archer has been telling Tasmanians “that should further action be required to support Tasmanians to access cheaper fuel prices, including the introduction of legislation, we will consider it”.

“Today she has completely ruled that out and left Tasmanians at the mercy of out-of-control petrol prices which are badly hurting families already struggling with the cost of living,” Ms Butler said.

“That’s an extraordinary broken promise but Ms Archer has followed it up with an extraordinarily tone deaf performance today in which she admitted the government had no ‘silver bullet’ and then trying to convince motorists the price of fuel had actually decreased.

“It’s clear now that Ms Archer and the government have simply been stringing Tasmanians along with lofty promises when in reality they have no plan, no care that petrol prices are becoming actually out of reach and no solution.

“It was just weeks ago that Ms Archer told Tasmanians fuel prices were heading in the right direction.

“The fact is residents on King Island are now paying $2.14 a litre for petrol and prices across the state have climbed more than 50 cents a litre in just the past year.

“How high do fuel prices have to rise before the Government steps in?

“It is just outrageous and all Tasmanians are feeling the pain.

“What’s equally outrageous is that Ms Archer and the government have again hoodwinked Tasmanians, making promises they had no intention of keeping.”

Jen Butler MP

Shadow Consumer Affairs Minister

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