Support grows for a tax on gas exports   
2026-02-18
greens.org.au
New polling shows support across party lines for a tax on gas exports, a policy proposed by the Australian Council of Trade Unions and backed by the Australian Greens last year.

During Senate Estimates last week, Greens spokesperson for resources Senator Steph Hodgins-May asked Minister Ayres whether a gas export tax was under consideration as part of the government’s gas market review. No advice had been prepared that he was aware of.

A 25 per cent levy on gas exports would prioritise domestic supply without incentivising new fossil fuel projects, and would replace the deeply flawed Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT), which has failed to deliver meaningful returns from LNG exporters due to structural loopholes.

Revenue raised could help compensate households for price impacts driven by exports and accelerate Australia’s transition away from gas.

Lines attributable to Senator Steph Hodgins-May

“The government’s proposed gas reservation policy won’t guarantee lower prices and it locks in unnecessary new gas projects.

“The Greens won’t support it without a meaningful tax on gas exports.

“Gas prices have tripled since LNG exports began, yet the companies driving those exports contribute next to nothing in tax.

“This polling shows voters across the political spectrum are fed up with a system that puts multinational gas exporters ahead of Australian households.

“In what world does it make sense that nurses, teachers or retail workers pay more tax than some of the world’s largest gas exporters?

“A tax on gas exports would redirect supply back to Australians, raise revenue to ease cost-of-living pressures, and help us move off gas without opening new climate-damaging projects.

“It beggars belief that Labor still won’t stand up to the gas giants and tax them properly,  while claiming to be serious about cutting energy bills and securing a safe climate future.”

Jasin wrote on Feb 19^th, 2026 at 7:28am:



How could our Govts. both Labor and Liberal allow multinational companies
to come here and rape and pillage our resources as though
we were some tin pot colony in Africa?

It's time that proper tax was paid on any of our resources.
We own it - not them.

Jasin wrote on Feb 19^th, 2026 at 7:56am:



The major BHP shareholders are:
The Vanguard Group and BlackRock -
not Australian companies - US corporations.   

Raping and pillaging Australia.