Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has 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.

For nearly two decades Mr Katter has been a sustained and lone voice in the Parliament pushing for a Reserve Resource Policy, after being part of the inner-power group in the Bjelke Petersen Government in Queensland which implemented a similar policy and saw Queensland’s development proposer and household electricity bills remain stable.

As recently as March 2014 Mr Katter asked the Prime Minister a Question Without Notice in the Federal Parliament on the issue.

“Our gas-powered electricity generators will be dangerously diminished within years and our electricity prices are going through the roof.

"Many local industries including Incitc Pivot in Mount Isa compete with countries that enjoy a domestic resource policy,” said Mr Katter.

“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 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.

This campaign comes after three significant reports on the rising gas prices and Australian fuel security have been released in 2014 – the September BIS Shrapnel report commissioned by the AWU, the July Deloitte Access Economics Report commissioned by six industry groups including the Australian Industry Group; and NRMA’s February report on Australian Liquid Fuel Security.

The BIS Shrapnel report states that as many as 200,000 jobs in manufacturing will be lost and warns gas prices will soar from $3 to $4 a gigajoule up to $9 to $10 a gigajoule.

“We are sick and tired of the LNP and ALP telling us that Australians on higher wages are destroying the country.

“The people telling us we have a problem with wages are the bank bosses who are on $9 million a year, the mining bosses on $4 million per year, the privatised public asset CEOs such as the CEO of Aurizon the railway in Queensland on $6.1 million per year.

“The heart of the matter is gas prices are skyrocketing, consequently jeopardising the future of Australian industries and jobs.

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.

“If these industries can hold on we applaud them, but they are being destroyed by the government of Australia and their free trade policies,” Mr Katter said.