BOWEN DECLARES RECORD DOMESTIC FUEL STOCKS AS COALITION ACCUSED OF ‘SCAREMONGERING’
Sydney-
Posted Saturday 13 June,2026/This article based on an interview transcript from Energy Minster Chris Bowen
— Australia has secured historic high levels of liquid fuel reserves despite severe international supply pressures, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced on Sunday.
Speaking at a weekly petroleum briefing, Minister Bowen revealed that the nation’s fuel volumes have reached their highest levels since 2023, when the federal minimum stock obligation first came into force.
Australia’s current reserves stand at:
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45 days of petrol supply
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39 days of diesel supply
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32 days of jet fuel supply
The Minister confirmed that supply lines remain highly robust, with 54 fuel tankers currently en route to Australia and 3.5 billion litres of fuel deliveries locked in over the next four weeks.
“In the face of international supply pressures, this is a remarkable achievement for the country,” Minister Bowen said. “This has been the government working hard with industry, securing extra fuel supplies through the Export Finance Australia arrangements, and diversifying our fuel supplies across the board.”
Opposition Accused of Political Games
The Minister used the briefing to heavily penalise the Coalition, accusing Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Ted O’Brien of running a baseless campaign designed to trigger panic buying.
“The opposition’s been scaremongering, warning of rationing, warning of shortages,” Bowen stated. “At first they said there’d be shortages and rationing around Easter. Then… my shadow minister said there were shortages in June. Well, we’re now in June and we have record amounts of fuel in Australia.”
Bowen noted that previous localized fuel outages seen at service stations in March—spurred by a brief doubling of consumer demand during the height of Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions—have stabilized. Retail outages have returned to normal historical baselines of approximately one to two per cent.
Despite the stable supply outlook, Bowen reiterated that the temporary reduction in the fuel excise duty is still scheduled to expire at the end of the month as originally planned.
Global Standing and Net Zero Debate
Addressing his recent return from the United Nations climate talks in Bonn, Germany, Bowen rejected assertions that Australia’s domestic approval of fossil fuel projects had damaged its international credibility.
Instead, he pointed to the nation’s selection to co-host and preside over negotiations for the upcoming COP31 climate summit as proof of global recognition.
The Minister warned that threats from the Coalition and One Nation to scrap net-zero targets would significantly damage relationships with key trading partners.
“We would go back to being an outlier,” Bowen argued. “We would go back to being completely out of touch with the direction of travel around the world and missing massive economic opportunities.”
One Nation Campaign Strategy Dismissed
When questioned on the visible public support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party during its recent regional tours, Bowen dismissed the right-wing minor party as offering “anger, but not answers.”
He framed the upcoming federal election as a distinct choice between the stability of the current Labor administration and the “chaos” of a potential conservative coalition involving independent or minor right-wing elements.
“Angus Taylor, Barnaby Joyce, and Pauline Hanson would give us chaos. That’ll be the choice before the Australian people,” Bowen said.
Defense of Election Funding Hikes
The Minister also defended recent reports that taxpayer-funded election campaign payouts are slated to rise from $3.49 to $5 per vote, downplaying concerns regarding public funding increases during a cost-of-living crisis.
“Public funding of election campaigns is a policy that’s been around for 40 years or so in order to reduce reliance on donations,” Bowen explained, emphasizing that the funds go directly to the administrative costs of political entities rather than individual politicians to ensure a fair and transparent democratic system.
