I’ve been following the Hormuz situation pretty closely over the past few weeks, and honestly, the more I read about it, the more I find myself thinking about leadership — specifically what good leadership actually looks like when things get genuinely difficult.

The news that Japan is going to maintain normal fuel supply to Australia, and that Prime Minister Takaichi is potentially visiting, is quietly significant. It doesn’t have the drama of a military announcement or the viral punch of a political brawl, but it matters. A lot. And the way it came together — through methodical diplomatic legwork with Japan, South Korea, and Singapore — is the kind of thing that rarely gets the credit it deserves because it doesn’t make for exciting television.

Been following the fuel situation pretty closely this week, and there’s a lot to unpack. Roger Cook invoking emergency powers in WA under the Fuel, Energy and Power Resources Act 1972 has got people either cheering or crying government overreach — and honestly, I think a lot of the critics are missing the point entirely.

Let’s be clear about what actually happened here. This wasn’t some dramatic state of emergency like we saw during COVID. Cook used specific legislative powers to force fuel companies to disclose how much fuel they actually have and where it’s stored. That’s it. The reason? Companies were apparently hiding behind “supply contract confidentiality” clauses to avoid sharing that information. Which means Gina Rinehart’s operations, BHP, Rio, Twiggy’s empire — they potentially have millions of litres sitting at their mine sites while the rest of WA is sweating about supplies. The audacity is genuinely breathtaking.