E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC AFTERNOON BRIEFING WITH STEPHANIE BORYS
FRIDAY, 10 APRIL 2026
Subjects: Fuel prices, ceasefire, Singapore, fuel diversification, waste sector
STEPHANIE BORYS (HOST): Now for the latest on the government’s response to the fuel crisis, let’s bring in Assistant Energy Minister Josh Wilson. Thank you for your time this afternoon.
JOSH WILSON: No worries, Stephanie, good to be with you now.
BORYS: Just to clarify there, Angus Taylor is worried that the reduction in fuel prices is not being seen by motorists at the bowser. Does the government hold the same concerns?
WILSON: Well, we want to see those prices come down as quickly as they can. We’ve obviously been doing lots of things along the way, both to secure supply and distribute it better and see those price pressures come off. We have seen some price reductions, but we want that to go further. Of course, Angus Taylor is pointing to reductions that have occurred, really in the last few days at the wholesale level, as a result of the very welcome ceasefire in the Middle East. That’s not likely to be reflected in prices at the bowser where that fuel was purchased and brought to Australia and then sent out to a given petrol outlet some time ago. But of course, we do want to see those prices come down, and that will be helped most by a continuation of the ceasefire and a return to peaceful circumstances in the Middle East.
BORYS: Looking overseas to Singapore. Now, of course, the Prime Minister has just held that press conference with his Singaporean counterpart. There was a lot of talk there about communication, commitment to sending fuel and resources between the two countries. There’s no new fuel supply deals being made, though, is there? It’s just a commitment to continue on as normal.
WILSON: Those kind of commitments are really important. I mean, the basis of healthy international trade and circumstances relies on strong relationships and a shared commitment to cooperation, collaboration in a reasonable way. And that’s why we’ve made those efforts with regional partners. That’s why the Prime Minister has gone and had such an effective engagement with the Singaporean Prime Minister, Prime Minister Wong, recognising, of course, that they are the largest provider to us of refined petroleum products, just as we are the second largest provider to them of LNG. And the fact that we have that shared commitment to one another and to those healthy and sensible, cooperative rules of the road is a significant thing at a time of obviously, a very serious worldwide crisis.
BORYS: If that commitment is such a serious outcome and a welcome outcome, was there a concern that shipments from Singapore were going to stop, or there was a risk of that going to happen?
WILSON: No, I think when you’re approaching this sort of crisis, this unprecedented crisis in a measured and reasonable way, you look to do everything that you can, and you look to get ahead and reaffirm all of the strong parts of the existing situation and deal with the weaker parts. That’s exactly what the government has done, whether it’s releasing fuel from a minimum stock holding obligations, relaxing the sulphur content and flash point requirements to deliver additional supply. The announcement just in the last couple of days, in relation to export, Finance Australia giving Ampol and Viva a little bit of help so that they can take advantage of spot price opportunities. Every single one of those measures that we’ve taken and the excise reduction are aimed at putting Australia in the best position that we can be in, in a very, very difficult time.
BORYS: Okay, so this trip, though, it wasn’t about trying to get more fuel from Singapore. It was purely to ensure that the current contracts continue.
WILSON: Yeah, when you when you look at the starting position, which of course, is that Singapore is the largest provider to us of refined product, it’s really healthy and helpful to engage directly with someone as collaborative as Prime Minister Wong. We have a great relationship with Singapore, but in times like this, one of the things that it’s important to do is for Australia to connect with and reaffirm our shared commitment to the best circumstances out of a crisis, and the best circumstances are a continuation of the ceasefire, a move towards a sustained peace and a return to ordinary trading conditions. We want to see that, we share that with Singapore and other regional partners, and we’re working hand in hand with them for our mutual benefit.
BORYS: So in terms of not putting all of your eggs in one basket, we know that South Korea, they’re sending someone to speak to people in Kazakhstan, Amman, Saudi Arabia. Should the Prime Minister, or is there someone else, sort of thinking of planning on going to other countries, aside from this Singapore trip, obviously, we have the Defence Minister Richard Marles in Japan. But are there plans afoot for other visits to other countries to shore up supplies as well?
WILSON: Well, that international engagement has been going on since this crisis began. The fact that the Prime Minister is with Prime Minister Wong in Singapore today is the best evidence of that, but Stephanie, as you’ve already mentioned, that engagement continues across the board. Minister Bowen has had contact with his ministerial counterparts in recent days in both Singapore and Malaysia. The Deputy Prime Minister has been in Japan. I mean, that kind of full court press approach has been one of the pillars of our effective approach to the crisis since it began.
BORYS: You mentioned there that Australia does rely heavily on Singapore for fuel. With that in mind, does Australia need to diversify further and look for other options long term? I mean, has this sort of been a little bit of a wake up call for the Australian Government that we can’t just rely on certain countries, we have to look further afield?
WILSON: Well, as with the COVID experience, when you have a crisis and a supply shock, it causes you to reflect on the nature of those arrangements. Already, through this situation, the Australian Government has responded by seeking fuel from other sources. We’ve been successful in doing that. Obviously, the fact that Singapore refines the fuel at the last stop before it arrives in Australia doesn’t mean that all the fuel originates in Singapore. Crude oil comes to Singapore from a range of different locations, and Singapore have been diversifying that as part of its response to the crisis. So you know you’re right to say that when these things occur, you’ve got to be prepared to consider all of the helpful measures and steps that you can take, and some of them are new and unusual. We have certainly done that. We’ve done that on multiple fronts, all day, every day, chiefly through the work of my boss, Chris Bowen, but certainly with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, as well.
BORYS: Just finally in your area of work as well, I believe you are scheduled to meet with waste collectors who are concerned about being able to continue to operate given the rising cost of diesel. Has that meeting occurred?
WILSON: I met with waste sector representatives a couple of weeks ago, and I certainly understand their concern. And when you have a fuel supply issue that will raise concerns in a range of different sectors, waste is an important one. Government sees that very clearly, just as we see the needs of agriculture and industry, in addition to ordinary Australians. But I was very pleased to meet with waste sector representatives. I understand the vital service that they provide. The key thing for all Australians to hold on to is that we have a stable fuel supply in Australia. We knew that that was secure all through April. We now know that it’s secure through May. We welcome the fact that wholesale prices are coming down with the ceasefire, and we hope that we see further progress towards sustained peace and therefore a return to more normal supply conditions over time.
BORYS: Yeah, a long road ahead though still. Josh Wilson, thanks for your time on Afternoon Briefing.
ENDS
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