[Peakoil] Coalition MPs criticise Govt on petrol prices

[Antony Barry]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1703354.htm

Wednesday, August 2, 2006. 0:05am (AEST)

Coalition MPs criticise Govt on petrol prices

As householders and businesses brace for a predicted interest rate  
rise, there is growing resentment in government ranks over the Prime  
Minister's approach to petrol prices.

John Howard says the cost of petrol is the greatest worry of his  
political life, but he cannot cut the fuel excise.

Some of his own backbenchers like Liberal MP Wilson Tuckey are  
critical of his efforts to solve the dilemma.

"I don't think we're doing nearly enough as a government," he said.

"We're trying all the Mickey Mouse solutions, and some of them in my  
mind are impractical."

Coalition Senator Barnaby Joyce is not happy with Mr Howard's  
opposition to the compulsory use of ethanol in fuel.

"Well it is disappointing, and we're not approaching an oil crisis,  
we're at one," he said.

"America is dealing with the issue, Europe is dealing with the issue,  
Asia is dealing with the issue; the only part of the world that's got  
its head in the sand and think that oil is going to last forever is  
Australia.

"We can't afford to not find alternatives, we must look over the  
horizon and start dealing with this issue now, and if we don't then  
we're one of the only countries on earth that haven't."

The MPs agree that a rise in interest rates will worsen the pain for  
consumers.

The Federal Government has been attacked from within, by Coalition  
MPs who say not enough is being done to reduce the cost of petrol.

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