As Labor faces pressure to respond boldly to oil shock, it needs to find more unconventional levers to pull

<p>Leveraging Australian gas exports to ensure we get oil in return is among the offbeat ideas we could be hearing more about</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>The International Energy Agency suggested Australia reduce <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/20/oil-price-energy-watchdog-iea-emergency-measures-work-from-home-slow-down-on-the-road">road speed limits, restrict car use in big cities and encourage more working from home</a> in a bid to nullify what it called the “greatest threat to global energy supply in the history of the world”.</p><p>They won’t be the only interesting or offbeat ideas raised in federal parliament this week, as the Albanese government comes under pressure to find fixes – short-term and long-term – to the oil shocks seeing more bowsers run dry across the nation.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/23/as-labor-faces-pressure-to-respond-boldly-to-oil-shock-it-needs-to-find-more-unconventional-levers-to-pull">Continue reading...</a>