A sharp rebuke of Australia’s gas industry was delivered in Parliament overnight, as Labor MP for Chifley, Ed Husic, accused major exporters of putting profits ahead of the public interest and called for a stronger national approach to managing the country’s gas resources.
Thu 12 Mar 2026 22.00
Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
A sharp rebuke of Australia’s gas industry was delivered in Parliament overnight, as Labor MP for Chifley, Ed Husic, accused major exporters of putting profits ahead of the public interest and called for a stronger national approach to managing the country’s gas resources.
Husic said that, despite repeated claims of a domestic gas shortage, Australia’s problem was not one of supply but “a glut of greed.” His comments mark one of the most forthright interventions on the issue from within the Government’s own ranks.
Husic pointed to research from the Australia Institute, showing that roughly 30% of Australia’s gas exports are not required to meet existing contracts. That surplus, he noted, is sold on the international spot market at higher prices, even as local consumers face ongoing pressure from energy costs.
“These facts will stun Australians,” Husic told Parliament. “And the facts point to the reality that this is a broken market. The only winners are profiteers.”
Husic also endorsed further discussion of a potential export tax on gas, arguing that current arrangements allow most exported gas to attract zero royalties. Such a change, he said, could both secure domestic supply and deliver significant new revenue to government.
“Advocates of this proposal believe it can protect uncontracted gas from being shipped off in the blink of an eye by gas firms, prioritising supply to Australians,” he said. “It also has the potential to raise billions in revenue annually.”
The comments are likely to encourage further discussion regarding the regulatory and fiscal settings that underpin Australia’s gas sector.
Husic concluded his speech with a call for stronger national resolve on resource policy, “we can’t be timid, we can’t be meagre about our national interest. These are our resources, our gas, and our prices.”
Meanwhile, in a test of where the parties stand on the issue, the Senate voted today on Independent ACT Senator David Pocock’s push for a parliamentary inquiry into ‘Why Gas Companies Pay Less for Offshore Liquefied Natural Gas than Australians Pay in Beer Excise’.
Labor voted against the inquiry, while the Greens, independents and One Nation voted for it.
The Coalition, including newly elected Nationals leader Matt Canavan, abstained.
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