<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/government" rel="" target="_blank" title="Albanese government"><span>Albanese government</span></a><span> will use public funds to bring down the cost of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/fuel" rel="" target="_blank" title="fuel"><span>fuel</span></a><span> in a bid to reduce prices at the pump and secure Australia's supply.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fuel is </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-announces-new-plan-to-tackle-fuel-crisis-calls-out-fuel-hoarders/e357bea2-b7df-4aa1-b62d-4ad62fb4ecb6" rel="" target="_blank" title="running low or out entirely"><span>running low or out entirely</span></a><span> at hundreds of petrol stations around the country, with the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/petrol-prices" rel="" target="_blank" title="cost"><span>cost</span></a><span> of diesel well over $3 a litre and unleaded petrol sitting at around $2.60.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ahead of a </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-crisis-australia-state-and-territory-leaders-to-hold-talks-today/4475f529-536a-4839-994e-dd70d04b873e" rel="" target="_blank" title="meeting of state and territory leaders"><span>meeting of state and territory leaders</span></a><span> today and a national cabinet meeting tomorrow, the federal government has announced it will chip in to underwrite fuel costs for fuel suppliers across the country as the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/israel-iran-conflict" rel="" target="_blank" title="Middle East conflict"><span>Middle East conflict</span></a><span> continues.</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>FUEL CRISIS:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-shortage-australia-how-does-emergency-stockpile-compare-to-rest-of-the-world/bb0711c1-11b5-4767-b349-fd46344a8b99" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>The graph the government doesn't want you to see about our oil stocks</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is designed to keep prices cheaper, but more importantly, ensure that fuel keeps coming into the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking yesterday, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Australia had about nine days' worth of petrol, a number he said was "slightly up" on previous figures, and about one month's worth of diesel.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nine News' Political Editor Charles Croucher said the government was fighting a difficult battle trying to solve multiple issues at once, as well as co-ordinating a national response, rather than the state-by-state model seen during the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/covid-19" rel="" target="_blank" title="COVID-19 pandemic"><span>COVID-19 pandemic</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-crisis-australia-albanese-government-taxpayer-funds-underwrite-petrol-costs/5dd84c83-70af-4ed1-a45f-129faa923326" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-news-free-public-transport-in-the-state-to-address-fuel-shortage/aa18489c-095a-4bbc-93a5-a806c0bd3c60" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Victorians offered free public transport for one month as fuel crisis deepens</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It all feels like a bit of a game of whack-a-mole at the moment. There's all of these problems popping up everywhere, and the governments keep trying to smack them as they arrive," he said on Today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"That's the hardest part of a crisis like this. You're constantly trying to get in front of something that you haven't seen before in this country, this kind of shortage in this kind of manner, with prices at this height."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The opposition has called on the government to cut the fuel excise to bring instant price relief at the bowser, but Croucher questioned whether it would be a truly effective strategy given the unprecedented crisis facing the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-29-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/91899f37-9654-4f9d-a68a-43487e732a29" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>'From death to America to God bless America': Conflict expands rapidly</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Taking the excise off fuel brings prices down a little bit, but in this environment where prices are surging… there's just no guarantee," he said, noting it would need to be tightly enforced to ensure fuel companies didn't take the profits unfairly.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said tax breaks to farmers and transport companies were a more timely and needed measure that would bring relief from fuel and cost-of-living pressures.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It makes it easier for people," he said. "We need more of that."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></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>