Her claim that more gas is needed to help with climate change is contradicted by reports from the International Energy Agency, the CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Key facts:

• Foreign-owned gas companies export 80% of Australia’s gas
• Nurses and teachers pay more tax than the gas industry
• To date, not a single LNG project has paid a cent in Petroleum Resource Rent Tax

“With Christmas here and a cost-of-living crisis on, Minister King decided to write a piece supporting multinational gas companies,” said Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute.

“Oddly for a Christmas piece, Minister King makes no mention of the gift that Australians give to gas companies, year in, year out – free gas.

“Australia got literally nothing for the gas that companies like Chevron, Exxon and Inpex sold for $149 billion over the last four years.

“Gas companies have tripled prices for Australians in recent years, by exporting the majority of the country’s gas. This has contributed directly to the tough Christmas many Australians are about to have.

“It is strange that while Australians are paying more money for their own gas, the Minister wants to write about gas somehow being good for the climate.

“More gas is bad for the climate. More gas exports are bad for Australian gas prices. Australians are being ripped off by the gas industry and they know it.

“Minister King’s use of the last media piece of the year to claim the opposite speaks volumes about her priorities as a Minister.

“Minister King says we need gas to firm renewables. The Australian Energy Market Operator and CSIRO say the opposite – that renewables are far cheaper than gas even with the cost of firming and additional transmission included. Battery costs fell 20% last year,” said Mark Ogge, Principal Advisor to The Australia Institute.

“Minister King is ignoring the expertise of the Australian Energy Market Operator and CSIRO on gas just as Peter Dutton does on nuclear.

“Doubling down on gas won’t just wreck our climate, it will drive up energy bills for Australian households and businesses.

“Australia has an enormous opportunity to process critical minerals in Australia using renewable energy, not gas.

“It’s pretty simple, if we want to reduce emissions we have to burn less fossil fuels, not more. Gas is a fossil fuel that is making Australia and the rest of the world hotter, and natural disasters more frequent.”