An inquiry into the taxation of gas resources has heard from proponents for a tax, who believe Australians are being robbed of their fair share of wealth from the nation’s natural resources, and opponents, who argue touching tax settings would spook investors.<\/p>\n
The ABC spoke to several senior sources who said they did not believe a new gas tax was being “seriously considered” and that \u2014 three weeks out from budget \u2014 no such plan had been brought to cabinet.<\/p>\n
The Middle East conflict, they said, had made the proposal harder to execute.<\/p>\n
However, they concede a campaign to slap a 25 per cent tax on gas exports \u2014 being run by independent senator David Pocock and the Australia Institute \u2014 is “cutting through” in the community, and in Caucus.<\/p>\n
A Greens-led parliamentary inquiry this week heard from proponents<\/a>, who believe Australians are being robbed of their fair share of wealth from the nation’s gas, and opponents, who argue touching tax settings would spook investors and harm Australia’s trading relationship<\/p>\n Speaking on the ABC, Mr Albanese said some of the arguments being put forward by campaigners were “disingenuous”, including the assertion companies were exporting gas tax-free.<\/p>\n As the government finalises the details of an east-coast gas reservation scheme, Mr Albanese says the industry pays company taxes and royalties, on top of the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT).<\/p>\n “They pay around about $22 billion [a year] and, importantly, \u2026 you do need to acknowledge the tens of billions of dollars of investment that occurs in order to have that gas extracted,” Mr Albanese told Afternoon Briefing.<\/p>\n “And without that investment, that’s come from North America and Japan, in Inpex’s case, we wouldn’t be having a debate because there wouldn’t have been that extraction occur.”<\/p>\n The figure being cited by Mr Albanese is from Australian Energy Producers \u2014 representing the country’s major gas companies \u2014 which states the sector is Australia’s second-largest corporate taxpayer, “contributing $21.9 billion in taxes and royalties last year”.<\/p>\n Anthony Albanese has spent the past fortnight visiting South-East Asia to shore up fuel supplies, while assuring leaders that Australia is a reliable and trusted trading partner. (Supplied: PMO)<\/p>\n ‘Would not be good for Western Australia’<\/p>\n Western Australian Premier Roger Cook also intervened in the debate this week, telling reporters he did not support higher taxes on the sector.<\/p>\n “I don’t support it, but I understand that, for many people, it seems like an attractive proposition,” Mr Cook said on Tuesday, acknowledging the momentum behind the campaign.<\/p>\n “But I don’t think it would be good for Western Australia and I’ve made those views clear to the prime minister.”<\/p>\n Mr Albanese is heavily invested in WA and, in 2024, dumped a planned overhaul of federal environmental laws after Mr Cook raised concerns about the potential impact on his state.<\/p>\n The ABC revealed last month that Treasury had been asked to model “new levy options” to tax the windfall profits<\/a> being made by coal and gas companies during the conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n![\"Anthoy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/cf96c125c0d07ba324dc89a34852f502.jpeg\")
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