John Englart

Media Release: Call for Wills Labor MP Peter Khalil to come clean on dirty gas

On 9th May Resources Minister Madeleine King released the Albanese Labor Government Future Gas Strategy which calls for the expansion of gas production. (1)

This is despite climate scientists and the International Energy Agency calling for no new coal and gas projects if we are to meet the Paris Agreement Climate Targets.(2)

Several Labor MPs have already gone on record that we need to accelerate the energy transition and move off fossil fuels as fast as possible.(3)

Climate Action Merri-bek Convenor John Englart called for Wills Labor MP Peter Khalil to also call for action against expansion of fossil gas, as the Federal MP for one of the most progressive electorates in Australia that overwhelmingly supports strong climate action.

“So far we have heard silence from Peter Khalil on the Future Gas Strategy, unlike some of his backbench colleagues.”

“The science is clear. New gas projects increase global warming and should not be approved. “

“Peter Khalil needs to come clean whether he supports climate justice and a halt to new coal and gas projects, or wants to see more catastrophic fires, floods and intense rainfall impacting Australians, indeed citizens around the world.”

“Globally, April 2024 was the hottest April on record, yet the government is not reigning in new fossil fuel project approvals.”

“This Government has provided a $1.5 billion subsidy to a new gas export hub for Darwin.

” Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek in March this year approved a major part of Santos’ controversial Barossa gas export project, the Darwin Pipeline Duplication Project.”(4)

“Labor was elected to take climate action in 2022 but instead has supported new coal and gas projects to make global warming worse.”

“The update of new environment laws promised has been put on the backburner. It seems Labor is also considering not adding a Climate Trigger in these laws, despite Anthony Albanese proposing such an action in 2005.”

“In 2019 Peter Khalil went on the record at a candidates forum that he supported subsidies for Northern Territory gas projects and gas expansion.” (5)

Other major environmental organisations have called this Future Gas Policy a “blueprint for climate chaos”, “a betrayal of Australian and Pacific communities.”, and more like Scott Morrison’s ‘gas led recovery’, not Anthony Albanese’s ‘renewable energy superpower’, while Renew Economy called it a 110 page love letter to the Gas Industry.(6)(7)(8)(9)

“Our Wills Labor MP needs to come clean on whether he supports subsidies for new gas and betray the citizens of Wills on strong climate action or support action for the climate emergency.” said John Englart. (10)

Event: Climate Action Merribek will hand deliver to Peter Khalil’s office at 11am on May 10 personal letters urging strong climate action collected at the Glenroy Festival, similar to the letters collected at the Sydney Road street Party.

References:

(1) Ministerial Statement, 9 May 2024, The Hon Madeleine King MP, Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia, Future Gas Strategy, https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/king/media-releases/australias-future-gas-strategy

(2) The science on fossil fuel extraction and climate targets:

(3) The backbench MPs Josh Burns, Jerome Laxale, Sally Sitou, Josh Wilson and Carina Garland issued statements that either criticised or urged caution about the government’s future gas strategy. Anthony Albanese faces internal revolt from inner-city Labor MPs over gas strategy, 9 May 2024, The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/09/anthony-albanese-faces-internal-revolt-from-inner-city-labor-mps-over-gas-strategy

(4) The Australia Institute, 28 March 2024, Government approves Santos Barossa pipeline and sea dumping https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/statement-on-approval-of-santos-barossa-pipeline-and-sea-dumping/

(5) Climate Action Merribek, 1 May 2019, Peter Khalil MP supports gas, backtracks on climate emergency message #climateelection, https://climateactionmerribek.org/2019/05/01/peter-khalil-mp-supports-gas-backtracks-on-climate-emergency-message/

(6) The Australian Conservation Foundation calls the strategy a “blueprint for climate chaos”. https://www.acf.org.au/gas-strategy-a-blueprint-for-climate-chaos

(7) Greenpeace Australia Pacific says it’s “a betrayal of Australian and Pacific communities.” : https://www.greenpeace.org.au/news/kings-future-gas-strategy-a-betrayal-of-australian-and-pacific-communities/

(8) Climate Council, 9 May 2024, A Future Gas Strategy that sends us back to the Future. https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/a-future-gas-strategy-that-sends-us-back-to-the-future/

(9) Renew Economy, 9 May 2024, Labor caves in to fossil fuel cartel as it locks in gas beyond 2050 amid deepening climate crisis, https://reneweconomy.com.au/labor-caves-in-to-fossil-fuel-cartel-as-it-locks-in-gas-beyond-2050-amid-deepening-climate-crisis/

(10) Climate Action Merribek, 23 April 2022, Climate the hot issue in Wills and across Australia https://climateactionmerribek.org/2022/04/23/climate-the-hot-issue-in-wills-and-across-australia/

Note: Climate Action Merribek made a submission to the Future Gas Strategy. Our insights were pretty much ignored in favour of supporting Gas Industry submissions. Read Our submission drawing upon science, which had 35 insights and recommendations: Submission to Federal Government on Future Gas Strategy. Strategy needs to be driven by climate science and need to phase out Fossil Gas in the Climate Emergency, 27 November 2023. https://climateactionmerribek.org/2023/11/27/submission-to-federal-government-on-future-gas-strategy/

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