As reported by Matthew Knott in The Sydney Morning Herald / The Age, a new CREA report estimates 68% of the oil Australia imported from Brunei’s Hengyi refinery this year was russian-derived, up from 24% two years ago. He notes the AFUO warned the Senate russia sanctions inquiry earlier this year that inaction risked turning Australia into a “dumping ground” for russian blood oil.
Adrian Zorzut in News.com.au has recently highlighted Australia’s “russian oil addiction,” quoting the AFUO’s warning that “Australian taxpayers may be funding both sides of russia’s war on Ukraine.”
We thank these journalists for amplifying our community’s voice.
The solution is on the table. In August, the Senate inquiry report recommended that sanctions loopholes be closed and that Australia better align with its allies.
The EU and UK have already acted: the EU’s ban on fuel refined from russian crude in third countries took effect in January, and the UK is phasing in its full ban by 1 January 2027.
The Government says it will respond to the Senate report “in due course.” We call on the Australian Government to respond without delay and to close the blood oil sanctions loophole immediately, thereby cutting off financing to the russian war machine. Every shipment of russian-derived fuel costs innocent Ukrainian lives.
Links to both articles:
📰 The Sydney Morning Herald / The Age: Funding Putin: ‘Blood oil’ imports from major Asian supplier surge
📰 news.com.au: Australia’s shameful Russian oil addiction laid bare in damning Senate report
