Albanese government says fuel supply ‘same, if not higher’ in coming weeks as Coalition calls for halving of excise

Latest figures from ACCC show diesel and unleaded petrol prices across the five largest cities up 10% and 8% respectively

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

The prime minister and energy minister moved to reassure the public about normal or even higher levels of fuel supply in the coming weeks, as the Coalition escalated calls for a cut to the fuel excise and the government downplayed the prospect of any major restrictions on petrol sales.

It comes as the latest figures from the consumer watchdog showed diesel prices across Australia’s five largest cities have risen by an average of 10% over the last week, while unleaded petrol was up 8%.