Tuesday, 12 May 2026

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (14:00): The Victorian Labor government last week announced their approval of a huge new gas project in the Otway Basin, just off the coast near the Twelve Apostles. This was devastating news for me and so many people in the coastal communities of Western Victoria who have fought for years against this. Adding to the insult, the Allan Labor government was out spruiking the gas industry lie of a domestic gas shortage to justify this approval. It happened in the same week that federal Labor announced their shifty gas reservation policy. This is basically identical to what the fossil fuel industries peak body Australian Energy Producers called for in their submission to the federal gas export tax Senate inquiry in order to avoid a gas export tax and to ensure that they can keep opening new gas projects. Make no mistake, this is gas policy written by the gas industry for the gas industry. We produce more than enough gas to meet all our domestic needs many times over; Labor just chooses to gift it to fossil fuel companies so they can improve their bottom lines. But this fact does not suit the gas industry and therefore does not suit Labor, because Labor are beholden to the gas industry. That is who they work for – not everyday Victorians, not the environment and certainly not future generations. Do not take my word for it, it is all there in the cold, hard light of the decisions that they make.