Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Greens do support this motion but we have a different view of why a gas-fired recovery would be a disaster for this country. Gas companies have sacked 10 per cent of their already small workforce. They've taken our gas resources royalty-free, polluted our atmosphere, have avoided tax but somehow kept up their political donations and shipped the rest of their profits offshore. For the last year of tax data, 28 gas companies operating in Australia generated $55 billion of revenue and did not pay one single cent of tax—$55 billion revenue; zero tax. Australians do not want these guys to be the so-called saviours of Australia's COVID recovery.

The Callaghan review only mildly reins in future gas projects, which the International Energy Agency has said we cannot allow if we want to avoid a climate breakdown. Implementing the recommendations won't touch the tax-avoiding, planet-pilfering, profit-shifting gas projects that are currently in operation. While we support the intent of the motion, even if it were adopted it would not change the exploit-and-loot culture of Australia's gas industry.