Greens: Australian Motorists Pay 15 Times More Fuel Excise Per Litre Than Private Jet Owners

Australian drivers pay about 15 times more tax per litre on petrol than owners of private jets pay to refuel their aircraft, according to new data cited by the Greens. Private jets, of which there are more than 200 in Australia, pay 3.556 cents per litre in fuel excise, while motorists pay 53.7 cents per litre on petrol. The figures come as petrol prices have surged on the back of the war in the Middle East, with regular unleaded at 225.3 cents per litre in Sydney as of Monday, though prices were tipped to decrease.

Greens leader David Shoebridge said the arrangement meant tax paid by ordinary motorists was helping Gina Rinehart and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson fill up their private jets at a discount, and he called for the excise to be increased. He described it as a "publicly funded handout for the super rich" costing more than $500 per year, and criticised Labor and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, saying the government should not cut services for disabled people and pensioners while helping the wealthiest fill up private jets cheaply.

The aircraft excise rate applies to specialised aviation fuel and kerosene, which fuels commercial airlines and charter planes as well as private aircraft. Parliamentary Budget Office costings seen by NewsWire found that aligning the tax rate for private jets with that of private vehicles would increase the fiscal and underlying cash balances by about $1.2bn and $1.5bn respectively over the 2026-27 budget forward estimates period. In 2026-27 alone, the change would generate $640m.

Private jet use is subject to regular scrutiny. Senator Hanson has repeatedly faced condemnation over her use of aircraft linked to Ms Rinehart, as well as a light plane gifted to her by the mining magnate. Globally, emissions from private flights by celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian have also drawn criticism.