MP makes a Federal case on fuel price

Bunbury MLA Don Punch says he is following up his grievance in State Parliament over the price of petrol in Bunbury by putting together a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Mr Punch voiced the grievance to Commerce and Industrial Relations Minister Bill Johnston last month after the issue was raised by a Bunbury resident.

Mr Punch said he was working with the Minister’s office to put together the submission to the ACCC.

“We have also met with the constituent who originally raised the matter with us,” he said.

“That constituent is preparing a petition that we are supporting her with which will go to Federal Parliament.

“The Federal Parliament really has jurisdiction over pricing disputes like this so it will be basically calling for an inquiry through the Federal parliamentary committee status and we will be looking at the independent assessment by the ACCC.”

Mr Punch said both the submission to the ACCC and the petition were currently in the progress stages.

“Those are really the only two avenues that we have at the moment,” he said.

“We need to find out why there is such a discrepancy between the price of petrol in Bunbury compared to the price of petrol in other parts of the South West.”

Mr Johnston said he supported the submission to the ACCC.

“I have to make it clear that it is not the State Government that regulates the market and the competition between one retailer and another,” he said.

“That is done by the Commonwealth Government through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.”