House debates Bills
Domestic Gas Reservation Bill 2026, Domestic Gas Reservation (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2026, Domestic Gas Reservation Levy Bill 2026; Second Reading
Shayne Neumann Blair, Australian Labor Party
5:51 pm
I'm sure One Nation, for example, will want to hide from their position, abandoning any form of gas reservation policy after having massively championed it. One Nation, the great champions of blue collar jobs, all of a sudden abandoned it to back big business—typical of One Nation. They're always saying one thing and doing another. I want to thank the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Minister for Resources, and the Minister for Industry and Innovation for bringing forward this major structural reform.
Australians deserve access to affordable gas, and that's exactly what this reform will deliver. For too long, we've watched gas leave our shores while local households and businesses face uncertainty and rising costs. Despite us being one of the largest producers of gas in the world, we're still suffering shortages and price shocks at home. These reforms lock in more gas for Australians. They strengthen our energy security. They support our energy transition to renewables and help put downward pressure on the price of gas. Our national resources are crucial, and gas is important. It's a national asset. We rightly expect to support our export success and our domestic economic prosperity. This scheme will make Australian gas available to Australian users. In that sense, it's about our sovereign security. It's about our nationalism. It's important that we support it. The legislation is about securing Australian gas for Australian industry.
All members of parliament have a choice, and it's critical that we support this. I say to the crossbench that the Greens political party are always letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, and the One Nation party is always backflipping and selling out Australian workers. I say to the coalition: stand up for regional communities, stand up for blue-collar jobs, back this legislation. To vote against reservation is to vote against blue-collar jobs, and that's what the Greens and One Nation are going to do. I support this legislation.
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