Opposition leader Angus Taylor used a televised address on Thursday night to call for Australia to fast-track mining exploration and coal and gas projects in response to the global energy shock. He accused the Labor government of mishandling disruptions caused by the war in Iran, urging the prime minister to clarify plans for emergency fuel supplies.
“We must dig, and we must drill,” Taylor said, echoing pro-fossil fuel rhetoric from US President Donald Trump. The address, aired on ABC TV and radio, came a day after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivered his own broadcast, which Taylor dismissed as lacking detail and comparable to a social media post.
Taylor challenged the government to disclose fuel supply levels, identify shortages, and detail incoming oil shipments. He warned against heavy-handed mandates that restrict freedoms and demanded honesty from the government. “We have the resources beneath our feet to secure our future,” he said, emphasising the need to put Australia first during the crisis, which includes the ongoing blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Albanese, speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, defended his address, stating that Australians needed reassurance and warning against misinformation about fuel rationing and a return to Covid-era measures. He acknowledged significant challenges but insisted, “This will not be like Covid,” and that governments are working together.
