Complex sentence: In response, the government announced a serious of reversals and softening of policy: fuel excise was decreased by 1.5c/litre and indexation of excise was removed with John Howard saying the government was "not going to be sacrificed on the pyre of ideological purity".
Split into simpler sentences: In response, the government announced a series of reversals and softening of policy. Harper Collins; 2010 (ch An Excess of Excise-the Pre-Tampa Recovery) Fuel excise was decreased by 1.5c/litre and indexation of excise was removed with John Howard saying the government was "not going to be sacrificed on the pyre of ideological purity".