<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://9news.com.au/petrol-prices" rel="" target="" title="Petrol"><span>Petrol</span></a><span> companies caught ripping off </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="" title="Australian"><span>Australian</span></a><span> drivers will now face fines of up to $100 million, as the government seeks to respond to growing anxiety about the fuel crisis sparked by the </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/israel-iran-conflict" rel="" target="" title="war in the Middle East"><span>war in the Middle East</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Senate today voted to double the maximum fines the consumer watchdog can levy for misconduct, as calls for a reduction to the fuel excise and questions about the potential for rationing continued to swirl.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the changes would tackle "price gouging" but the Greens argued they did no such thing and the opposition criticised the government's response as slow and full of "mixed messages".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-crisis-holidays-caravan-holidaymakers-cancel-easter-roadtrips-as-fuel-prices-sting/da2aaf5f-59cd-4f26-9853-02ad9bec0b91"><strong><span>Holidaymakers cancel Easter road trips as fuel prices sting</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jurisdictions at all levels are fighting to contain the inflation shock from Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, sparked by the US and Israeli attacks that killed the country's former supreme leader.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The updated fines cover false or misleading representations, including lying about the reason for price increases; price fixing, colluding on prices, and other cartel behaviour; misuse of market power and some other anti-competitive behaviour.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Albanese said the laws passed this afternoon would "crack down on petrol price gouging".</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/petrol-prices-fines-for-dodgy-petrol-pricing-doubled-as-fuel-crisis-continues/f34aa351-537d-424e-9f44-cbfbba0f5e17" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're doubling penalties for companies doing the wrong thing," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Because there's no excuse for increasing profits at the expense of Australians."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Labor Senator Katy Gallagher said the changes were about "making sure Australian families get a fair go".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/adelaide-man-admits-to-manipulating-social-media-images-to-sextort-mother-and-daughter/095ef843-f310-47f1-8820-a6d12787ed00"><strong><span>'Respond or you will regret it': Charges over gross act</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My message to fuel companies is clear," the finance minister told the Senate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If you do the right thing by your customers, our government is here to support you. But if you take advantage of foreign conflicts and take Australians for mugs, the ACCC will throw the book at you."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Greens failed to introduce wording to specifically address "price gouging", something that proved incredibly difficult to nail down during the inquiry into the big supermarkets and which </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-coles-woolworths-price-gouging-supermarkets/2a8de2bb-e6e0-4a82-9919-91e3ebae1aba"><span>eventually prompted specific legislation in that sector</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This so-called crackdown on price gouging is a con," Queensland Senator Larissa Waters said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It will do nothing to stop price gouging, and it won't stop corporations using the cover of war to rip people off.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It does not do what it says on the tin. This legislation increases penalties for companies caught lying about ripping you off, but it doesn't actually stop them from ripping you off, which it could do if the Greens' amendment passes."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Liberals, meanwhile, accused the government of not taking the fuel crisis and its potential flow-on effects seriously enough, accusing it of "mixed messages" in its response.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/thunderstorm-to-bring-damaging-winds-to-nsw/420a6e85-8591-4e7e-931e-cecbe95a4391" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Trains and Metro outages after storm dumps rain and hail</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This is a government that has been caught flat-footed, asleep at the wheel and then in denial about the scale of this crisis," Senator Jane Hume said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Fuel costs are hitting farmers, manufacturers, freight and logistics. They're hitting small businesses. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's an economy-wide impact that cannot be ignored, and these costs are being directly passed on to consumers."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A state and federal fuels task force will meet tomorrow ahead of national cabinet next week.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Commonwealth says supply is secure for now, but the states say distribution is still a major problem.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>9News National Affairs Editor Andrew Probyn said he understood the taskforce would likely back a public dashboard to identify service stations that have fuel and those that don't.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But given this is quickly becoming a full-blown inflation shock, every jurisdiction is also war-gaming worst-case scenarios, everything from fuel rationing to COVID-style emphasis on essential services," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>" … when or if they get implemented will, of course, be discussed by the premiers and the PM next week."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>Fuel outages across Australia</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The latest figures for fuel outages across the country, as presented by Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen today, are:</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><span>NSW:</span></strong><span> 178 with no diesel, 48 with no stock, total stock.</span></li><li><strong><span>Queensland:</span></strong><span> 55 with no diesel, 33 with no regular unleaded.</span></li><li><strong><span>Victoria:</span></strong><span> 45 with no diesel (down 20) and 72 with no unleaded, (down 70).</span></li><li><strong><span>South Australia:</span></strong><span> nine with no diesel, ten with no unleaded.</span></li><li><strong><span>Western Australia:</span></strong><span> 40 with no diesel, and 14 with no unleaded.</span></li><li><strong><span>Tasmania:</span></strong><span> five with no diesel, nine with some sort of outage.</span></li><li><strong><span>ACT:</span></strong><span> two with no diesel and one with no unleaded.</span></li><li><strong><span>Northern Territory:</span></strong><span> No outages in the NT that are attributable to a lack of fuel supply.</span></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>