In a rare address to the nation, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, on Wednesday urged his compatriots to not panic or hoard fuel in the face of soaring energy prices.
He also urged Australians to take public transport in the coming weeks, saying that would free up fuel supplies for farmers, miners and other tradesmen who have no choice other than driving. (Earlier this week, two Australian states said they would temporarily make public transit free of charge.)
Mr. Albanese — delivering the first such address since the pandemic — tried to reassure Australians that the country was prepared to weather the looming economic challenges from the Iran war.
The country now imports the vast majority of its fuel and the national average price for retail gasoline has risen about 40 percent, according to an industry group. Farmers in the country are also reeling from high fuel prices.
Mr. Albanese spoke for just under three-and-a-half minutes. He did not mention the United States, Israel or Iran by name.
Here are some highlights:
“The reality is, the economic shocks caused by this war will be with us for months.”
“You should go about your business and your life, as normal.”
“Enjoy your Easter. If you’re hitting the road, don’t take more fuel than you need — just fill up like you normally would. Think of others in your community, in the bush and in critical industries.”
“And over coming weeks, if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so. That builds our reserves and it saves fuel for people who have no choice but to drive.”
Mr. Albanese reiterated previously announced efforts to cut taxes on gasoline and diesel, and to ensure fuel supplies.
Reviewing the prime minister’s speech, Jill Sheppard, an associate professor in politics at the Australian National University, said, “I don’t know that it’s done much to assuage Australians concerns.”
It was unclear why Mr. Albanese chose to make an address on Wednesday. One reason, Ms. Sheppard said, could be that he wanted to ensure that people behave at the gas pump ahead of the Easter holiday.
Laura Chung is a Sydney-based reporter and researcher for The Times, covering Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
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