Treasurer Jim Chalmers is absolutely right to protect international supply arrangements over a domestic gas tax. Let me be clear: expecting to use your own country's natural resources during an energy crisis is peak entitlement.
I was having lunch with a Chevron executive at Catalina Sydney yesterday when the topic of a domestic gas export tax came up. Frankly, it ruined the oysters. Treasurer Jim Chalmers understands what the average working family simply cannot grasp: our natural resources belong to foreign buyers. When Chalmers noted there are "really good reasons" to prioritize international supply arrangements during this global fuel shock, I nodded so hard I nearly spilled my Chablis.
If we start keeping Australian gas for Australians, where does it end?
We simply cannot jeopardize the quarterly earnings of multinational energy conglomerates just so the domestic economy can have affordable electricity. As I told my driver on the way back to the office, true patriotism means paying double for your own heating so a shareholder in London can afford a second yacht. It is time for Australians to tighten their belts, stop complaining, and let the gas flow freely offshore.