STATEMENTS BY SENATORS

Senator HODGINS-MAY (Victoria) (13:35): In a move that has surprised precisely no-one, Labor is watering down its piss-weak gas reservation policy to appease its corporate gas donors. The ACTING DEPUTY PRESIDENT ( Senator Sterle ): Did I hear that right? I'm not sure I heard that right.

Being a truckie, not much worries me, but I think I got it. You know what I'm going to say next. Senator HODGINS-MAY: Ladies and gentlemen, the great gas rip-off continues under the watch of this government.

It is in full swing. No-one thought that Labor was serious about this in the first place. It was a distraction from the unprecedented public outcry for a gas tax in this country.

So shameless was the timing that Labor announced it on the very day that our gas tax report was handed down, a report that said a gas tax should be revisited as soon as possible. Let's be clear about what Labor's offering instead. They're offering a scheme that does not lower energy bills, a scheme that has already watered down its headline reservation per cent, a scheme with vague ministerial discretion and a scheme developed in bed with the gas industry.

And here's the kicker: it will not raise a cent for Australians. Not one measly dollar will be raised under this reservation policy. That's how gullible this Labor government think you are, folks, backed up by the corporate parties of One Nation and the Liberals.

When Australians are struggling, Labor is turning its back on $17 billion worth of revenue that could be raised under a 25 cent gas export tax. That's money for cost-of-living relief, money for electrification, money for people genuinely doing it tough, but Labor says, 'Nah, not today.' We deserve a fair return on our resources. Instead, you're getting another industry-designed scheme full of loopholes for the minister to roll over to gas industry demands.

The Greens say, 'No, not on our watch.' We will fight this. The Greens will fight this pathetic capitulation to the gas corporations. We say no to Labor's gas reservation scheme and yes to a minimum 25 per cent gas export tax.

It's our gas, it's our money, it's— (Time expired)