Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Senator Watt. According to many reports and warnings from the industry, Australia is this year likely to find itself in the position of needing to import liquid natural gas to shore up supplies on the east coast. This is despite the fact that Australia has enormous reserves of gas in places like Queensland—Barwon basin—and that Australia is one of the largest gas exporters. Minister, will you please explain why the Albanese Labor government has allowed this ridiculous situation to come to pass, especially when your renewables plan cannot possibly work without natural gas?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, you're right in saying that there's no doubt that Australia does need more gas to be supplied, and that is because—even for many of us who want to see more renewables brought into the system because it will be the cheapest, cleanest form of energy available in the future—it is going to require more gas as a backup source. And of course there are a lot of manufacturing outfits right across Australia that rely very heavily on gas. That is why we have taken a range of actions to ensure that we can obtain the gas supplies that Australia needs. Already in this term of government, we've seen gas developments approved by this government, which are necessary for the manufacturing gas that's needed and also to back up renewables into the future.

The reality is that we are dealing with a situation where we inherited many warnings of gas shortages that were provided to the coalition over their years in government. In fact, AEMO and the ACCC issued a dozen warnings about gas shortages over the decade the coalition was in power. Now, we can't wish away the consequences of a decade of neglect, but we are acting on both supply and price while also being a responsible energy partner for the countries to whom we export gas. Some of the things that we've done have been to take strong action on gas supply and price by introducing the gas mandatory code of conduct, expanding AEMO's powers to address market shortfalls, and responsibly approving new exploration and production.

Our work to deliver more gas at more reasonable prices is making a meaningful difference. The latest ACCC outlook forecasts surpluses of gas on the east coast in 2025 and 2026. Under the gas code of conduct, we've secured more than 600 petajoules of domestic gas, which is enough to power east coast generators for six years. We've seen new gas come online for east coast users through the Senex project in Queensland, which is something the coalition never managed. And, of course, our future gas strategy established a long-term plan to help address supply changes. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, first supplementary?

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, I would dearly love to know when you are going to stop blaming the coalition for what happened in the past when you've been in government for nearly three years. In 2024, Australia exported almost $70 billion worth of natural gas, and about 56 per cent of these exports attracted no royalties for Australian taxpayers, who own these resources. Qatar receives about $26 billion for its exports, while Australia receives less than 10 per cent of that. Minister, when will your government act to ensure that Australians receive a fair return for all natural gas extracted and exported by foreign owned multinationals?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, what we've sought to do in the not quite one term we've been in office is to shore up gas supplies both for domestic use and to meet the export contracts that have been entered into by a range of companies over previous years, well before we were in office. The fact is that Australia does produce much more gas than we use at the moment, and the gas that we don't use is exported—and those exports make a lot of money for Australia, including in towns like Gladstone. I was in Gladstone a week or two ago, Senator Hanson. I don't know when the last time you were in Gladstone was. But there are many, many jobs in towns like Gladstone that depend upon the export of gas.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please direct your answers to the chair.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Okay. Well, President, I don't know when Senator Hanson was last in Gladstone, or when Senator Canavan was last in Gladstone or any of them were in Gladstone. But I was there only a couple of weeks ago, with Senator Ayres, talking about the work we're doing to shore up aluminium supply and also gas supplies into the future. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Hanson, second supplementary.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm glad you're getting around the state. You are a Queensland senator. Australia has all the gas it needs to meet domestic demand for at least the next 40 years, but the Commonwealth has no policy to ensure sufficient reserves and, as a result, we are facing shortages on the east coast. Minister, will you please explain why the Albanese Labor government has not implemented a domestic reserve policy similar to in Western Australia to ensure that we do not run short of this vital energy resource?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for acknowledging the work of the then Western Australian Labor government in providing a domestic gas reserve. But the reality is that we do have a range of measures in place to meet Australia's domestic needs for gas while being a responsible trade and energy partner. And, as I said, there are hundreds if not thousands of jobs in towns like Gladstone and many other towns around the country that rely on gas production and gas exports, and we don't want to jeopardise them—

Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Roma.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

places like Roma, as Senator Chisholm says. I'm sure you've been out to Roma at some point, Senator Hanson, and have noticed—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, I remind you once again—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm sure that Senator Hanson has been to Roma and has observed the jobs that are produced through gas production and gas exports. Queensland and Western Australia both already have state based reservation schemes, and gas produced in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia is for domestic use only. In addition, our government has produced a future gas strategy, which is all about making sure we can meet our domestic needs and those export contracts. (Time expired)