Opposition Leader Angus Taylor faced an unexpected setback when his car was stolen from his Canberra home in the inner-south, just hours before a key press conference on fuel prices.

Theft Timing and Press Conference

The vehicle disappeared shortly before Taylor’s scheduled 8 a.m. appearance at a 7-Eleven service station in Casey on Friday morning. The event highlighted the Coalition’s campaign to halve the fuel excise, following the Albanese government’s announcement on Monday.

Taylor arrived at the presser without a jacket amid chilly 10-degree temperatures, likely due to the morning rush. Nationals Leader Matt Canavan also attended coatless, mirroring the informal style.

Police Investigation

ACT Policing confirmed the theft occurred on March 27. Officers recovered the car that afternoon in Turner, a suburb in Canberra’s inner-north, and transported it to a facility for forensic examination. The investigation continues.

Fuel Tax Relief Details

Taylor took credit for the excise cut, which delivers 26.3 cents per litre savings at the pump—equating to $19 for a 65-litre tank. The heavy vehicle road user charge has also decreased.

“Australian families and small businesses will pay less for fuel because the Coalition led, and the government followed,” Taylor stated.

Delayed Price Drops

Motorists won’t see immediate savings, as service stations must deplete existing higher-priced stock. Full benefits may take one to two weeks.

“It is about the replenishing of the stocks in the tanks, because it’s applied to the wholesale obviously, the fuel in the tanks right now has been purchased at the higher rate,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers explained. “And so people should expect it would take, you know, somewhere between maybe one and two weeks for the full benefit of the excise to flow through.”