Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter today condemned the Business Council of Australia’s comments that quarantining gas for domestic use would not curb sky-rocketing gas prices.

“The Business Council of Australia would not be able to spell the words good sense,” Mr Katter said.

“How they think it is good that mineral process and manufacturing companies should pay 400 % more for their gas than the amount paid by their competitors, would be in keeping with the bad advice that they have given to Government on a continuous basis for the last 30 years.

“Mineral processing is rapidly ceasing in this country, we are no longer a mining country, we are a quarrying country. The key components in the cost of metal are the cost of energy, which is electricity and gas. Electricity has gone up 300%. Gas will also go up as a result of their extremist proposals,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter today renewed his call for a Reserve Resource Policy as domestic gas prices get set to skyrocket -threatening the future of Australian industry and jobs and putting increased pressure on Australian households to make ends meet.

“A Domestic Reserve Resource Policy is aimed at securing Australia’s long-term energy needs by ensuring that we have access to domestic gas supplies.

“Reserving our existing supplies will protect manufacturers and householders from skyrocketing prices that are imminent without the implementation of a gas reserve policy."

Mr Katter’s has previously praised the Australian Workers Union (AWU) for launching their “Reserve Our Gas” campaign and calling for the Government to mandate that 20 percent of Australian gas is kept for domestic use rather than being exported.

Mr Katter is calling on Queensland and the rest of Australia to follow Western Australia, which already has a Reserve Resource Policy, which makes available domestic gas equivalent to 15% of LNG production from each LNG export project.

Mr Katter will also be introducing legislation into Parliament which will call for there to be no export of Australian gas until it can be proved that all Australian demand is being met.