Fair Work Amendment (Fairer Fuel) Bill 2026

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time" (parliamentary jargon for agreeing with the main idea of the bill). This amendment was introduced by Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson (One Nation).

Following the vote, ACT Senator David Pocock (Independent) asked that WA Senator Fatima Payman's (Australia's Voice) support for part (a) be noted and her opposition to part (b) be noted.

Amendment text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) notes that both parties of government have been warned about fuel security for decades and have failed to secure enough fuel stocks to protect Australians from inevitable global shocks; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) cut the fuel excise by 100% for 3 months and/or remove GST on fuel, which is a tax on a tax, to give immediate 57 cent per litre relief to Australians, while pausing the heavy vehicle road user charge for truckies and road transport businesses,

(ii) declare a national liquid fuel emergency under the Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984 to force fuel supplies to the regions and stop price gouging,

(iii) outline plans for rationing so that essential sectors like emergency services, defence, hospitals and food production can be prioritised if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and

(iv) ditch net zero so we can drill Australia's own oil, invest in gas to liquid and coal to liquid technology and rebuild refineries so Australia is never subject to fuel vulnerability again".