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Motorists shouldn't be confronted with a spike in petrol prices when the 22 cent fuel tax relief ends next week, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says.

He reiterated today the Albanese Government was making a difficult but necessary decision to end the temporary halving of the fuel excise that was brought in by the former Coalition government.

The discount is set to end at 11.59pm on Wednesday, September 28.

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But Chalmers insisted the millions of litres of fuel purchased at cheaper prices and stockpiled should ensure there won't be a jump in bowser prices.

"We've been working closely with the servos and suppliers to understand that there are hundreds of millions of litres of fuel underground in tanks that was purchased at the lower price," he said.

"The ACCC and the government expect that the price of petrol shouldn't shoot up at the bowser on Wednesday night by the full 23 cents if the normal market pressures are in operation."

"Today you would have seen industry estimates that there would be more than 700 million litres of lower excise fuel in the system. This is 700 million reasons why the price should not shoot up by the full 23 cents on the night the excise ends."

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Chalmers also said fuel prices were 50 cents per litre cheaper than the peak in July.

He said it was a tough decision to end the fuel excise relief but stressed the government was committed to responsible spending at a time of major budget pressures.

The federal government has asked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to monitor whether motorists are being ripped off over the coming month as fuel prices increase.

Convicted murderer Philip Smith has been unsuccessful in challenging a rule that prevents men from having sex with each other at a special treatment unit for child sex abusers.Smith, who received a life imprisonment sentence in…

An off-duty cop busted drink-driving late one night in central Auckland drove to a police station shortly after he was caught and swiped his evidential blood samples.Details of the 33-year-old officer’s offending, to which he pleaded…

The Australian National Flag will be lowered to fly at half-mast all day across government buildings and establishments this Thursday, the National Day of Mourning for Queen Elizabeth II. 

When the Australian National flag is lowered to half-mast, all other flags should also be flown at half-mast under protocol, stating the Australian flag should always be flown in the "position of honour". 

An acceptable half-mast position is when the top of the flag is presented a third of the distance down from the top of the flagpole. 

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Vice-Regal Standards, which are the flags of each of Australia's state governors and the Governor-General are to remain at full-mast.

The Commonwealth Flag Officer encourages participants to seek permission from the diplomatic representatives of other nations if they want to position those nations flags at half-mast also. 

State and territory governments and other organisations are also encouraged to participate with members of the community in the minute of silence at 11 am AEST this Thursday. 

Information on flag protocol is available at http://www.pmc.gov.au/flag.