AUSTRALIA PERSPECTIVE

Emma Higgins drives 500 head of cattle along a country road near the NSW-Victoria border. Her property in Corrowong is parched—the drought. But diesel for her ute has become a second blow. ABC News Australia profiles this rancher who refuses to sell her cattle "genetically improved through artificial insemination" and prefers road-based grazing.

On the political front, the Albanese government announces a halving of fuel excise (a reduction of 26 cents per liter) effective April 1 through June 30. But Labor warns that drivers might not see price cuts "for days or even weeks" in regions where stock turnover is slow.

The Sydney Morning Herald documents the tanker Al-Salmi, struck by Iran off Dubai—2 million barrels, valued at 292 million Australian dollars. Brent prices briefly spiked after the attack. The SMH notes that American gasoline has exceeded 4 dollars per gallon for the first time since summer 2022, and that this becomes "a political headache for Trump before the midterms."

Australia frames the crisis through three simultaneous lenses: the human (the rancher), the political (the excise), and the geopolitical (Hormuz). It is the most comprehensive coverage in the pool, but remains centered on domestic impact—the word AUKUS appears nowhere.