QLD Premier makes state-owned petrol station election pitch

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Queensland Premier Steven Miles has made another cost-of-living pitch to voters ahead of the state election. He's now promising that his government will establish 12 state-owned petrol stations if re-elected.

Transcript

00:00Queensland Premier Stephen Miles has announced that if his Labor government is re-elected

00:06at the October 26 poll, they will establish 12 publicly owned petrol stations across the

00:12state in areas where the most competition is needed.

00:16It's part of a suite of pre-election promises the Premier has announced today that would

00:21see the government intervene in the fuel market in an attempt to boost competition and reduce

00:27price rises to the cost of petrol.

00:29If re-elected, the Miles government says it would also ban fuel stations from raising

00:34the price of petrol more than once a day.

00:37Another pre-election pledge is that the government would trial a daily cap on how much petrol

00:42prices could be increased, limiting any rise to no more than five cents per litre.

00:47The peak motoring body, RACQ, has welcomed some of the announcements, especially the

00:52cap on daily increases.

00:55It's something they've long called for, arguing that it would help alleviate the pressure

00:59Queensland's face at the Bowser, particularly in Brisbane, which is consistently one of

01:04the most expensive fuel markets.

01:07But Mark McKenzie, the CEO of the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association,

01:13says they are scratching their heads as to how the Queensland government would actually

01:17be able to pull this off, arguing that there's no legislative precedent for these kind of

01:22measures.

01:23They also say that by capping the amount petrol prices could be increased daily would actually

01:28push the average price higher across the entire price cycle.

01:32But of course, the RACQ says that's not actually how their modelling suggests the trial would

01:38work.

01:39If elected, the Miles government would also use planning call-in powers and government-owned

01:43land to provide a more level playing field for independents and smaller retailers to

01:48increase competition.

01:50This all comes as the race towards the October state election heats up, and polling in Queensland

01:56suggests that Labor has been trailing behind the LNP.

02:00And this is just the latest cost-of-living measure we've seen the Labor government announce.

02:05We've already seen $1,000 energy power rebates, 50 cent public transport fares, and cutting

02:10car registration fees by 20 per cent.

02:13We're expecting to hear more details about the policies for petrol prices when the Premier

02:18makes his State of State address later today.

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