Welcome back. You’re watching Today on Nine and 9Now. Great to have your company this morning. Calls for Australians to work from home are growing louder as the national fuel crisis deepens. Measures such as ditching gas cookers and driving slower are also being pushed in a bid to ease demand on supply. To discuss this, let’s bring in today’s talkers: Liberal Senator Paul Scarr and our very own Lizzie Pearl. Good morning to you both. Hey Paul, it wasn’t too long ago that your mob, the Coalition, was urging people to go back to the office. This is very much a switch. Do you support the recommendations from the International Energy Agency?
Senator Scarr
I actually think a lot of Australians will be making their own decisions about how they respond to higher fuel prices. So I think you can expect people to cut back on travel if they feel they need to. To adjust to these fuel prices, we do need to see the government come out and clearly communicate with the Australian people about what fuel supplies we have, and where our future fuel supplies are coming from, because I think there is a lot of concern in the community. The other point I’d make is that we need to ensure diesel flows through to our farmers. That’s incredibly important to make sure we get food on the table and continue to support our productive industries.
Host
Yeah, they need it more than the city and metro areas. Just quickly, do you think any employer is going to push back on employees choosing to work from home?
Senator Scarr
Look, I think people are going to be realistic. I don’t think we’re at that stage yet, to be frank. Sure, we should look ahead and consider ways we can respond, but I do think a lot of people will be thinking about whether they drive to work or take public transport. If fuel prices stay this high, people will make a lot of their own decisions. And bear in mind, we’ve just had an interest rate increase as well, so people are feeling pressure from all sides.
Host
Lizzie, the new Nationals leader, Matt Canavan, has labelled Chris Bowen a part-time energy minister. Do you think the government is doing enough in the wake of the fuel crisis?
Lizzie Pearl
Well, they haven’t so far. They were clearly caught flat-footed on this one, and as Paul said, people are making their own decisions. Yesterday, I got the train home and it was absolutely jammed — the public transport system here in Sydney is already under pressure. What’s interesting is the government now seems to be blaming the public for this crisis. How can you blame people for panic buying or filling up jerry cans when there are clearly no other solutions on the table? What this has done is lay bare our absolute global dependence on oil. We’ve all been caught unawares, and we really need to get a wriggle on with renewables and shore up our own independent energy supply, free from the global pressures we’re seeing right now.
Host
Well said. Lizzie, let’s change topic. Fears that boys are being left behind will form part of a new parliamentary inquiry into the state of the education system. Paul, boys trail girls in every NAPLAN literacy indicator. How concerning is this?
Senator Scarr
It’s very concerning, and we’re seeing it play out as boys progress through high school. The rate of boys dropping out of high school is much higher than girls, and fewer teenage boys — or young men — are commencing university. This has ramifications right through the system, so we need to come up with an evidence-based approach to address it. One of the other issues we need to look at is the number of male teachers, especially in primary school. When I was in primary school, I had some really strong male role models who provided clear direction. I think we need to consider everything we can to address this issue.
Host
Yeah, it’s a fair point. Lizzie, nearly a quarter of boys in school fail to complete Year 12. What needs to be the focus to lift those results?
Lizzie Pearl
I think it needs to be pointed out that if you don’t do well in NAPLAN or the HSC, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a successful career. We see men excelling in all fields, so clearly what happens in the classroom doesn’t always translate to real life. That said, sitting quietly in a classroom and going about your work doesn’t suit a lot of boys — and I’m generalising here — but it also doesn’t suit a lot of girls. Perhaps different ways of learning, including more hands-on or outdoor approaches, could help keep more boys engaged through to Year 12, if that’s the goal.
Host
Finally this morning, it seems 2026 is the year of heavy metal, punk, and rock music — rock on. That’s right, forget pop classics. According to Spotify, streaming of heavy music genres has surged. Paul, you’d be right on board with this, wouldn’t you?
Senator Scarr
Look, it might come as an absolute shock to you, but I’m not a headbanger from way back. I think I missed that phase of my development — and I’m still not sure how you do that finger thing either!
Host
Lizzie, what are you into? When I come to work in the mornings, I like a bit of Beethoven. It just gets me in the mood for a nice, calm morning here at the desk.
