<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Relief at the </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/petrol-prices" rel="" target="" title="petrol pump"><span>petrol pump</span></a><span> has been made official but drivers are being warned it will take time for the fuel excise cut to be felt in their wallets.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The opposition and the crossbench expressed reservations but got behind the government's push to halve the tax, cutting 26.3 cents per litre from fuel prices to save about $19 on a 65-litre tank.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But calls have also emerged for more radical changes such as drilling more Australian oil, forcing electric vehicle drivers to pay up and trying to pressure </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US "><span>US</span></a><span> President </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> to end his </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/israel-iran-conflict" rel="" target="" title="war in Iran"><span>war in Iran</span></a><span> more quickly.</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><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-prices-fuelwatch-wa-diesel-error-burk-forced-to-sell-most-expensive-in-the-state-after-typo/d5901fd9-2963-43e7-a471-164e3ceab8de"><strong><span>'Just a rip-off': Servo forced to sell $4 diesel thanks to typo</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The three-month fuel excise reduction passed the Senate tonight along with new laws offering </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fuel-crisis-australia-albanese-government-taxpayer-funds-underwrite-petrol-costs/5dd84c83-70af-4ed1-a45f-129faa923326" rel="" target="" title=""><span>financial guarantees for companies buying fuel</span></a><span> in the volatile world market.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Labor Senator Deborah O'Neill said the reduction would make a difference for people and businesses struggling with the rapid rise in fuel prices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's not just farmers. It's not just families or small businesses that are feeling this," she told the Senate tonight. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/petrol-prices-australia-three-month-fuel-excise-cost-passes-senate-in-bid-to-fight-high-prices/e8e6621c-5e61-44f2-ad60-e89df51c88a9" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It's providers of the heavy machinery that builds this nation that's putting all the essential infrastructure in for the housing development that we want, that's building the roads that we need for the productivity gains that this country deserves mind to all of those things, and we need to keep the businesses afloat that are building our nation."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both the opposition and One Nation claimed credit for the policy, with the Liberals going as far as to try to make the government officially acknowledge that they proposed the cut first.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This amendment makes clear that this policy originated with the Coalition, that the government delayed in acting, it failed to provide offsets, and that uncertainty remains around GST arrangements and fuel security," Senator Clair Chandler told the Senate.</span></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/police-tracked-cars-repeated-trips-from-porepunkah-to-thologolong-before-fatal-shootout-that-killed-dezi-freeman/0529c4da-3391-4326-9d5e-6b12dd5d333b"><strong><span>Police tracked car's repeated trips before fatal shootout that killed Dezi Freeman</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The change, along with the Greens' attempt to include language criticising the government for supporting "President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu's illegal war", were voted down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Independent David Pockock echoed concerns raised by a string of economists that the discount at the bowser would likely push the Reserve Bank towards raising interest rates again, costing mortgage-holders more in the long run.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But he, both parties and several other crossbenchers still supported the bill.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the excise cut would apply from tomorrow but would take time for the impact to be seen at the browser, particularly in regional areas with less turnover.</span></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/three-men-fighting-for-life-stabbed-fight-girraween-sydney/2cc7696c-19ab-4a8d-831f-a01a05e3ed86" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>Father and son embrace in hospital following Sydney daylight stabbing</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The fuel in the tank at the service station might have been there for days. They have already paid the tax," he said today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"So please, if you turn up tomorrow and the price has not gone down, they are just waiting for the new petrol with the lower tax to come in."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He said the government had considered inflation concerns but decided prices were high and "unlikely to plummet any time soon".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We don't see people racing down saying, 'The situation's solved and Albo's fixed it and now we'll buy more petrol', because that's not what we think, and I don't think that's what Australians would think," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There are concerns from some that even the sizable discount won't be enough.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It'll be burnt up in a couple of weeks. It'll have no effect at all," Wholesale Sleeper Co director Murray Flakelar said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg today backed Queensland Premier David Crisafulli's call for the state to refine its own oil.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The fact that we have 40 years of oil under the ground that we haven't been able to get out because of the environmental laws is a bloody disgrace, frankly," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bowen was cautiously open to the idea.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I think these things should always be determined on economics and engineering, not on ideology," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If there's oil there that can be easily and cheaply extracted, sure, and it replaces oil imports. Great. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But there have been many attempts to do this."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Another suggestion is to Fast track a long-discussed road user charge for electric vehicle users to replace some of the money lost in fuel excise.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Well everyone should be paying their fair share and EVs use the road and those roads need to be repaired," former Nationals leader David Littleproud said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association chief executive Rohan Martin said it was important such a move didn't disrupt EV sales and Bowen said the fuel tax would apply for three months whereas EV take-up would be here for years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Greens said the country should invest more heavily in renewable energy to reduce reliance on foreign fossil fuels.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Things are bad now but there are warnings it could get worse next month as refineries in Asia that refine fuel for Australia are reliant on oil from the Middle East.</span></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>