SYDNEY: Australia will extend petrol price relief for motorists struggling with the economic impact of the war in the Middle East, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to announce on Sunday (June 21).
Reliant on imported fuel, Australia halved a petrol tax for motorists and cut a levy for trucks in March, as prices soared because of global disruption to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Both temporary measures were due to expire at the end of this month, but will be extended for the month of July.
"We know people are still under pressure," Albanese said in a statement viewed by AFP, expected to be released on Sunday.
"We'll continue to do what we can to shield Australians from the worst impacts of this conflict including securing additional fuel from our partners," he said.
The decision to extend the cost of living support comes as the centre-left Labor government has been overtaken by the far-right One Nation party in opinion polls, an unprecedented shift in Australian voting sentiment.
US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a deal this week that aims to end a war that began on February 28.
Albanese told reporters on Saturday that Australia welcomed the de-escalation, but the decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz "doesn't mean that it immediately opens".
"There are sea mines there. There is a great deal of uncertainty about how long it will take before normal trade resumes," he said at a news conference in Sydney. - AFP
