Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, has ruled out another cut to fuel excise as petrol prices surge across the country, saying the government is focusing on other measures to ease cost-of-living pressures.
Fuel prices have risen by about 40 cents a litre since the beginning of September, following the end of an excise reduction.
Speaking on News24’s Sunday Agenda, Mr Marles said the government was concentrating on measures that would help households while managing public finances prudently.
“What we are focused on is other cost of living measures and managing the budget in the most prudent way possible, which gives us the space to look at cost of living as we go forward,” he said.
He added: “Cost of living really has been the challenge since we’ve come to government, and it continues to be that.”
“We’re obviously seeing what’s playing out around the world, and we very much know how difficult it is for Australians to make ends meet,” Mr Marles said.
