Shadow home affairs minister Jonathon Duniam says Chris Bowen’s decision to attend a climate conference in the middle of the petrol crisis shows Australia has a “part-time energy minister.”
The criticism comes after Mr Bowen travelled to Brisbane to attend a climate meeting linked to the upcoming global COP summit, despite mounting pressure on fuel supplies.
The event, which brought together ministers from across the Pacific, focused on emissions reduction and climate cooperation.
Mr Duniam said the timing of the trip raised serious concerns about Mr Bowen’s priorities.
“He’s part-time energy minister, part-time climate champion, and chair of the COP program,” he told Sky News host Caleb Bond on Friday.
“He can only devote so much of that part-time work to dealing with this crisis, which he told us only seven days ago was not a real thing.”
Two weeks ago, Mr Bowen told reporters Australia had in reserve “36 days’ worth of petrol, 34 days’ worth of diesel, and 32 days’ worth of jet fuel”.
According to the shadow home affairs minister, the claim there is no petrol supply issue, highlights the delusion from this government.
“Every time someone asked a question in parliament, we were accused of spreading misinformation and whipping up fear and panic around fuel supplies,” he said, regarding the fuel shortage.
“But today, here I am in Sydney … I was told that there were 100 petrol stations in Sydney today that are coming close to running out of fuel.
“That does not sound like a normal situation to me.”
The fuel squeeze has been felt most in regional areas, where diesel prices have climbed sharply, in some cases pushing beyond $3 a litre.
The government has acknowledged pressure on supply chains but has maintained the situation remains under control.
Mr Duniam rejected that assessment, arguing the response had been inadequate and that Mr Bowen should focus more on his position as energy minister.
“They’ve lost the plot and he should get back on the job he was elected to do.”
The criticism echoes concerns from the opposition that the government is attempting to manage a complex energy challenge while balancing international climate commitments.
Mr Bowen has played a key role in global climate discussions and is expected to attend the COP summit, further fuelling debate about whether his focus is divided.
The shadow minister argues travelling to Brisbane to reduce climate emissions is not in the national interest at the minute.
“To have a minister fluffing around in Brisbane, talking about bringing down climate emissions, well, how on earth is that in our national interest?” he said.
For Mr Duniam, the fuel crisis reflects a deeper problem with priorities at the highest levels.
“So, we’ve got parliament next week, and I expect they’ll want to bring in laws, but you’d think a government seriously interested in national security would have a plan on the table today to assure Australians there’s no risk,” he said.
“But here we are more worried about climate change and votes in certain communities and getting things right.”