1. Fuel security
The Australian Citizens Party will always fight for Australia’s independence to avoid being involved in meaningless wars. But even wars elsewhere may impact our national food and fuel security. The world is becoming more volatile, so the need is urgent. Now, fuel importers are only required to hold baseline stocks for 27 days for petrol, 32 days for diesel, and 27 days for jet fuel. Australia needs to significantly increase the minimum stockholding obligation, so we have adequate time to find alternative solutions if we are struck by a major disruption.
Furthermore, the ACP would prioritise expanding Australia’s domestic refining capacity, including with investment from the public Aussie Post bank, and proposes reviving the 1974-76 Petroleum and Minerals Authority, to have a state-owned resources company that would guarantee domestic fuel security.
2. Food security
Prioritise policies that support Australia’s family farmers who, unlike corporate agribusinesses, guarantee the nation’s food security. These policies include: cheap flexible credit from the public Aussie Post Bank; parity pricing that guarantees cost of production; expanded domestic production of farm inputs, including fertiliser and fuel (local refining and storage); tariff protection from free trade dumping; sensible land clearing and fuel reduction burning for fire protection; end Murray-Darling Basin water speculation to return more water to farms; regional infrastructure to support industries and towns; and encourage population growth in regional Australia to expand the permanent agricultural labour force.
3. Live export
The ACP supports the live export industry, which provides affordable protein to millions of people in low-income countries. Like all industries it should be adequately regulated so standards are maintained.
4. End the Coles-Woolies duopoly
Break the market dominance of the Coles-Woolworths duopoly by reforming national competition policy to encourage producers to bargain collectively to increase their bargaining power, ensure a level playing field for alternative retailers to expand their market share, and legislate divestment powers to break up the duopoly if Coles and Woolworths continue to abuse their market power.
