Labor's Oil Refinery Plan Faces Scrutiny from One Nation

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has questioned the Labor government's motives behind announcing a $4 million feasibility study for a new oil refinery in Western Australia. According to Hanson, the proposed refinery will not address the nation's fuel security issues if it relies on imports for feedstock.

Hanson pointed out that Australia currently only has 42 days' worth of petrol and 38 days' worth of diesel in reserve, making it heavily dependent on imports from the Middle East. She emphasized that what Australia really needs is to increase oil production to reduce its reliance on imports.

The One Nation leader also raised concerns about the company selected to build and operate the refinery, a fertiliser company with no experience in liquid fuel refining. Hanson questioned why an experienced Australian oil producer was not chosen for the project.

Hanson further noted that the proposed refinery's location and capabilities are unclear, and that the $4 million allocated for the feasibility study may not be sufficient to cover all the necessary costs. She speculated that the announcement might be a political ploy ahead of a by-election in WA.