E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SKY NEWS
THURSDAY, 16 APRIL 2026
Topics: Fuel supply; Prime Minister's visit to Brunei & Malaysia
LAURA JAYES: I want to go live now to the Social Services Minister, Tanya Plibersek. Tanya, I know you're listening in to that interview and waking up to this news of a fire in Geelong, the last thing you want to see in the context of a global oil crisis at the moment.
MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, TANYA PLIBERSEK: Well, of course, it's terrible timing to see this fire in Geelong. We were pleased, obviously, that no workers were injured and we're very grateful to the emergency personnel who are fighting that fire still. But you just heard yourself, Laura, that there's a very reassuring message there. We do have significant fuel stock still onshore here in Australia. We've got 57 ships on the way. It is terrible timing to have a fire at a time like this, but I think fighting the fire is the first priority now and then a sensible reassessment of the impact. We'll make that once the fire is under control.
JAYES: It's interesting to see, and this didn't happen under your watch, the number of refineries significantly reduced under the Coalition. Now we have two. Has this global crisis and even this fire today changed your view and the Cabinet's view about self sufficiency when it comes to oil?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: No, it's reconfirmed our view about self sufficiency for Australia. I mean, four refineries closed under the Coalition government. We've of course, made it a priority to keep the two remaining refineries open. But it does show how important our investment in Australia made, not just for fuel, but for a whole lot of critical inputs into our economy, how important that investment is. I mean, another great example of this is the work we're doing in critical minerals. We know that critical minerals are vital to a modern economy. We're making sure that the rich critical minerals resources we've got here in Australia can be exploited here in Australia for Australian benefit.
JAYES: On another resources issue, and this is really the bargaining chip that Anthony Albanese has whilst he's overseas at the moment, is our LNG gas exports. And we certainly punch above our weight when it comes to the comparisons to the rest of the world there. But is it true that the government is considering changing the tax structure there, whether it's a tax on profits?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Oh, well, Laura, you know what happens every year as the budget approaches, all sorts of speculation is entered into about what might be in the budget. We just don't engage in that. The budget is not too far off. We already have obviously changed the petroleum resource rent tax to make sure that we're extracting more value from those vital resources that we have here in Australia. But for any future changes, you'll have to wait for the budget. The tax priorities that we've already laid out, however, I think give you an insight into the values that drive us. We've got another tax cut coming for all Australian taxpayers on the 1st of July. We changed that from a tax cut for people at the top end to spread that benefit right through Australian taxpayers from low income people, middle income people and including all the way up the scale. That shows the sort of principles that drive us when we're making decisions about tax policy in this country.
JAYES: So is it being considered because you would recognise, particularly in your electorate, the white hot anger about this? I think, you know, there's a substantive social media campaign. I think some of the comparisons are a little bit disingenuous there. But are Australian taxpayers getting a fair return?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: As I said, we already changed the petroleum resource rent tax to ensure that we get a fairer return and any further changes that we make in any part of the tax system will really just have to wait for the budget.
JAYES: What's the complication and hesitancy here? Is it because we're in a global crisis and we're asking, you know, some of our partners like in Malaysia and Singapore, to keep on bringing imports our way, that we don't want to change the tax system because it might scare them about LNG flowing their way?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Well, I'm not going to make any comments or speculate at all about tax around our resources, but what I would say is we are a reliable trading partner. The Prime Minister has made a number of recent trips, as you know, to Singapore, last week to Brunei and now to Malaysia to make it very clear that the reliable partner that Australia has consistently been when it comes to natural gas exports and other vital exports as well will continue. And it is a good opportunity to say that we also expect reciprocity. We expect that the diesel imports that we get from the region, the fertiliser imports that we get from the region that that continued supply will be coming to Australia as well. These face to face conversations are incredibly important for Australia's national interest and I think it's a terrific thing that the Prime Minister has had such a good reception on these trips.
JAYES: Should he go to China?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: I'm not going to start making recommendations about the Prime Minister's travel schedule but I can tell you that our diplomats and our Foreign Minister and Trade Minister and other ministers like our Agriculture Minister are talking to counterparts all the time to protect Australia's national interest.
JAYES: I've got to ask you about Father Trump. He has doubled down today. He's not just comparing himself to Jesus but today he's portraying himself as the right hand man to Jesus. What do you think about that, Donald Trump tweeting all night making really important decisions or not when it comes to the Iran war which is affecting us al?
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: The Iran war has had a massive global impact. It's had a terrible impact for the people of Iran too and we can’t ignore the number of civilian casualties in Iran and in the region from the ongoing conflict there. We start with our concerns about the impact on civilians in the region. There’s a global economic impact from the conflict in Iran, we want to see it end as soon as possible. This is having an impact on all of us, it’s an impact that Australians didn’t choose and we want to see it ended as quickly as possible. I’ll leave commentary on American domestic politics for people in America.
JAYES: Okay don’t want to touch that one, I don’t blame you. Tanya Plibersek good to see you, we’ll speak to you soon.
MINISTER PLIBERSEK: Always a pleasure, Laura, thank you.
ENDS
