Ley Urges Focus on energy Security,Defense โคPreparedness inโฃ Newโข Speech
CANBERRA – โShadow Minister for Industry,the Arts and Tourism Sussan โขLey โคwill today โdeliver a speech to the Menzies Institute โcalling for urgent โคactionโฃ to bolster โAustralia’s โคdefence preparedness,with a particular focus on energy and fuel security.
Justโ daysโ after the Coalition abandoned its commitment to net zeroโฃ emissions, Ley will emphasize the criticalโฃ link between energy security and national โresilience,โ advocating for increased fuel supplies.
“Fuel and energy security are now among โขtheโค most significant things determining our national preparedness to endure a conflict โฃor crisis. And the situation โฃis dire,” she is scheduled to say. “This is why we need โto embrace energy abundanceโข and put affordability first. โฃThat’s what our plan weโ released on Monday โขis all about.”
Ley โคwillโ highlight data indicating Australia’s liquid fuel โsupplies would last only weeks if cut off during a conflict, describing current โreserves as “dangerously low.” She warnedโ that a disruption โฃto fuel supply could halt domestic freight and aviationโ within โdays to a โฃcouple of weeks, impacting access to โคessential services like groceries and medicine.
The speech โwillโ alsoโ criticize the current governmentโ forโฃ a perceived loss โฃof momentum on minimum โfuel โคstockholding obligations,โ and call for increased investment in โdomesticโข production,โค including biofuels andโฃ efuels.โ
Ley will โargue australia is diminishing its energy sovereignty despite possessing abundant gas reserves, and that strengthened access to gas is vital โfor defence programsโ like the AUKUS submarines. She will also point to the absence ofโ a national AI strategy.
Ley โstated she welcomes theโฃ increased transparencyโ from national security agency heads โand encouraged โthem to “keep speakingโ up andโ out” regarding โthreats facing the country.