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Show us the gas, Barnaby

On Wednesday night, Barnaby Joyce told Leigh Sales on the 7:30 Report that the Victorian Labor government was to blame for our gas shortage as they were sitting on huge reserves of gas but refused to develop them.

When Leigh Sales questioned him on that, pointing out that there are no known onshore gas reserves in Victoria, Barnaby told her she was wrong. The Minister for Resources seemed unable to identify any but said that if Sales had him on the program again he would tell her where they were.

When Malcolm Turnbull made the same claim in March this year, it was met with puzzlement from the energy market experts and the state government.

“In Victoria … there is a huge amount of gas, and, indeed, there is still a very large offshore gas resource in Bass Strait. There is also an enormous amount of gas onshore that can be accessed by conventional means, without fracking,” Mr Turnbull said.  “The Victorian Labor government, as usual, guided by its alliance with the Greens, has banned conventional gas exploration and, of course, also unconventional gas exploration and development.”

A 2015 parliamentary inquiry found the state does have large reserves of conventional gas, but it is located in Bass Strait, where extraction is relatively non-controversial.  There are currently no proven or probable onshore gas reserves in Victoria even though numerous exploration licences have been issued.

The Geological Survey of Victoria does, however, estimate that up to 110 petajoules of conventional gas could be accessible, subject to a comprehensive geoscientific investigation. To put that in context, 110 petajoules represents about six months’ supply, which is far from an “enormous” amount.

In their 2017-18 budget, the Victorian government allocated $42.5 million over four years for the Victorian Gas Program which they (unsuccessfully) invited the Federal government to add to, particularly to accelerate exploration and development of offshore gas.

The Victorian Gas Program has four major components:

–        Delivering extensive scientific, technical and environmental studies on the risks, benefits and impacts of onshore conventional gas while the moratorium is in place until 30 June 2020. These studies will be overseen by the Lead Scientist and a Stakeholder Advisory Panel, made up of farmers, industry, local government and the community, with assistance from Geological Survey of Victoria. As there are no proven or probable onshore gas reserves in Victoria, the geoscience investigations for onshore conventional gas are designed to provide an evidence-based resource estimate.

–        Supporting commercial exploration for further discoveries of gas off Victoria’s coast to help increase gas supply. This work will acquire new geoscientific information to identify prospective areas in the offshore part of the Otway geological basin.

–        Investigating the opportunities for further underground gas storage in the onshore Otway geological basin to help secure more reliable gas supplies and to mitigate short term price peaks, particularly during any interruptions in the gas supply system.

–        Supporting the work programs for onshore conventional gas and offshore gas, including resource planning, regulatory improvements and a comprehensive engagement program for farmers, industry, local government and regional communities.

The studies will be undertaken by scientists from the Geological Survey of Victoria and will focus on the Otway geological basin in south west Victoria and the Gippsland geological basin in south east Victoria.

I sure hope Leigh Sales takes Barnaby up on his offer to come back and identify these huge onshore reserves that no-one else knows about.

And if I was a state premier, I would be having a very serious conversation with the Federal government about how telling lies for political purposes is not helping the nation.

 

 

53 comments

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  1. Clean livin

    there are lies, and there is Barnaby. The latter just wouldn’t know, whilst Morrison and co, guild the lily, and Abbotts type just straight out lie.

    Why bother listening?

  2. pierre wilkinson

    Baarnaby should be under investigation for his insider trading with his Pillaga land holdings, corruption over the Darling water theft, outright lies about everything he says and his “ignorance is no excuse” dual citizenship.

  3. iggy648

    On Lateline last night, Malcolm Roberts was trying hard not to admit that Australia’s gas requirements would be met even without Malcolm Turnbull’s grandstanding. The newspapers are full of it this morning.

  4. Terry2

    Barnaby also said that we are forcing gas prices down now, as we spaek by bringing more gas on to the market

    Turnbull said :

    the gas companies will offer first, as a first priority, domestic customers any un-contracted gas in the future as a priority.

    Turnbull also said :

    “It will mean that Victorians and residents of NSW will be paying more. An extra $2 a gigajoule, which is around the cost of shipping gas from Queensland, about 11% on the gas bill of a typical household in Melbourne”.

    And then Turnbull said :

    “But if we are able to achieve commitments that will ensure there is not a shortfall of gas, and that the market functions well and people can buy the amount of gas that they need at prices that reflect global prices, then we don’t need to restrict exports.”

    Nobody except Barnaby is asying anything about prices coming down.

  5. John Kelly

    I can’t imagine why the federal government would be doing this. Do they have something to hide?

  6. Miriam English

    There need to be very strong penalties under law for politicians lying. These penalties should bite really hard and make it so dangerous to lie that it completely discourages politicians from doing so and forces them to learn about reality — to actually read reports and listen to scientists, statisticians, and other actual experts.

  7. helvityni

    Mad Hatter, go back in your cave; this time the blame was placed once more on Labor, specifically on VICTORIAN Labor, how admirable, so detailed…Barny got a bit flustered towards the end : I will have more lies to tell you on my next visit to 7.30…

    ( please Leigh, don’t bother with another invitation)

  8. Frank Smith

    Barnaby from NZ knows exactly where the gas is – it is right under the two blocks of scrubland he bought in the Narrabri Gas Precinct that Mal, Josh and the Nationals are saying the NSW Government MUST develop urgently. Federal ICAC anyone?

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/conflict-of-interest-calls-for-barnaby-joyce-to-sell-csglinked-land-20170925-gyor0x.html

    In addition to its Bass Strait gas, Victoria will soon become swamped with that dangerous “foreign gas” from Qatar when AGL builds their $250 million gas import terminal there. That pesky Andy Vesey from AGL is really spoiling Mal and Josh’s confected crises isn’t he? He just doesn’t seem to want to play ball.

    https://www.agl.com.au/about-agl/media-centre/asx-and-media-releases/2017/august/agl-announces-crib-point-as-preferred-site-for-gas-import-jetty-and-pipeline

  9. wam

    What a beaut read, Kaye!!
    When does a serious discussion qualify for the comedy festival? When barnaby beetroot appears.
    China and other countries have invested billions in Australian gas companies.
    Retail/wholesale increases costs and maximises profit without adding value.
    haha john:
    I watched matt on lateline interview an AGL bloke who wriggled and hedged about trumbles bulldust achievement but I could only find reference to an interview with malcolm roberts,a name with which we are very familiar,
    It took heaps of fingerwork before I realised the name was not unique.

  10. Zathras

    Frank Smith,

    That land was bought as the result of “insider trading” with the knowledge that gas leases could be sold once the area was opened up – a typical Queensland National Party tactic that gave rise to people like Clive Palmer.

    After this matter was publicly raised, Barnaby stated that he would be selling that landholding but as far as I know it’s still listed on his parliamentary interests register.

    It seems he’s either having trouble unloading it after all those years or he just lied about his intention (again).

    I will be watching this matter with interest to see if it resurfaces.

  11. Frank Smith

    helvityni,
    Barny is always flustered – so much so that he is incomprehensible. Send him back to New Zealand – the Kiwi’s dudded us with their reject and are having a great old laugh.

  12. Frank Smith

    wam,
    Will any Mrs Roberts ever dare to name her newborn “Malcolm” again? Or for that matter, will any Mrs Turnbull?

  13. Kronomex

    The gas and bullshit coming from the LNP could power an entire state, if not the country, for years. The term “un-contracted gas” are weasel words at their best.

  14. OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES

    joyce is as corrupt as they come. he obviously got his mis information from Rienhardt who is suing the vic gov for banning fracking.

    turnbulls ‘victory’ on gas supply will be another disappointment and short lived. it will come back to bite him because without pulling the legal trigger as labor proposes the gas supplies will not comply with the agreement and shortages and high prices will emerge after a short abatement. yet another lnp con without substance.

  15. helvityni

    Frank, why haven’t we sent Roberts and Barnaby into a naughty corner for not even knowing where they are coming from. Why are they not silenced until we hear from the courts…?

    Malcolm R is definitely not a Malcolm in the Middle; the other one is like Groucho Marx: These are my principles, if you don’t like them I have others…

  16. Johno

    Barnaby is full of gas. Just hook him up to the grid.

  17. Frank Smith

    Kaye Lee, I don’t wish to get “off subject” but I absolutely must find out if this is for real – please give me your assessment as I have been known to be gullible at times.

    The Australian Research and Space Exporation agency – ARSE.

    https://spaceaustralia.com.au/

  18. Johno

    Frank…If it is for real, I won’t be buying one of their T-shirts.

  19. Frank Smith

    Thanks Kaye Lee – I am relieved. But it is a very clever spoof though.

  20. ace Jones

    During the Howard years John sold the whole deposits of gas in the North-west shelf off WA to chinese at bargain-basement prices.
    When queried by Labor “why not reserve some for the Domestic market” the then Minister, forget his name but when he spoke it sounded like a chainsaw running, i called him McCulloch but that wasnt his name you’d rememeber him if you heard him talk. anyways he said ” No gas reserves for Aust. that would be ideological claptrap! Aust must buy it at world prices.” .. thats my recollection .

    These politicians need a salary cut of 75% , because we are paying millions to people to represent us, but who care not one iota for our welfare.
    how can we stop this ingrained selfishness in our elected pollies

  21. Greener

    Kronomex, Malcolm’s pyschobabble assurance for the domestic market that “first priority . . un-contracted gas” will save the day translates into pressure on State governments to frack the bejesus out of coal seam deposits. The cost to repair our Great Artesian Basin?
    http://www.lockthegate.org.au/at_risk_the_great-artesian-basin

  22. Kaye Lee

    In January this year, Queensland Resources Minister Anthony Lynham announced the release of 58sq km of exploration ground in the onshore Surat Basin with the “strict” condition that any gas produced must be used in Australia.

    Malcolm Roberts, the head of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, welcomed the release of more acreage, but not the trial of restrictions.

    “Imposing restrictions is unnecessary and can only discourage development,” Mr Roberts said. “Experts such as the Productivity Commission and the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission have warned that governments intervening in the market risk killing the incentive to develop new reserves.”

    Origin Energy, who with US giant ConocoPhillips runs the Australia Pacific LNG plant at Gladstone and controls the ­nation’s biggest operating CSG supply, also condemned the ­restrictions.

    “While we share the Queensland government’s objective of ­increasing gas supplies for the domestic market, this is best achieved by lifting barriers to ­investment in exploration and production, not through market interventions,” a spokesman said.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/alarm-as-queensland-moves-to-reserve-gas-for-domestic-use/news-story/0892812d006eba5597e7db9d12491f35

    How come, when there is a world wide glut of gas, so much so that India just renegotiated a long term contract for more of our gas at a much cheaper price, are they pretending that there is a shortage and that we will have to pay higher prices to cover it? And why is Barnaby saying they are bringing gas prices down when Turnbull is saying we will have to pay more to transport it down from Queensland?

  23. wam

    haha frank with malcolm trumball added it is likely the name will die out altogether.
    I had a discussion with a labor senator during brandis diaries saga and suggested she should lake the lead by publishing her workload that kept her from her family. I suggested a page with her week’s meetings. Wow suddenly no access to her page.

  24. paul walter

    There seems a massive web of lies and deceit, a big abscess of stuff accumulating and infecting over the course of this century concerning control of resources, the direction use of resources might take and the consequences for the public including that most basic of concerns, power generation and distribution..

    I remember well the sort of stuff ace Jones speaks of, with gloatings from politicians about the public being exposed to the “cold winds” of “market forces” (who rigged the markets?) and how trade regulations would ensure that community interest became subservient to corporate interest in a rigged game of extortion, coercion and theft.

    I observe that Zathras and others have a clue how the system operates, as usual the system has had me feeling isolated and wondering if all that has transpired has not been a bad dream, given the way big business has run what passes for public debate on the whole filthy and perhaps civilisation smashing scam.

  25. Kaye Lee

    It’s no wonder this country is in trouble when the government keeps changing its mind.

    In March this year, then Resources Minister Matt Canavan said adopting a national policy where a proportion of natural gas would be reserved for domestic use would not deliver “a very good outcome”

    “The basic idea is you keep more of your resources here to boost domestic supplies and lower the price potentially – but that doesn’t work in any other market.”

    Using his beef analogy, Canavan said the price of steak had “gone up a bit in the last few years because the world price of beef’s gone up – but there’s no shortage of cuts of steak in your local shops even though we export the vast majority of it overseas”.

    “That should be no different with gas, because we have plenty of gas resources here in this country,” he said.

    “Yes we are exporting a lot of it now but that actually should help increase gas investment and gas supply because it gives confidence to gas investors that they can get a return on their investments.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/06/reserving-natural-gas-for-australian-market-wouldnt-have-good-outcome-says-matt-canavan

  26. Vikingduk

    Baa-naby bought 2 blocks of “mongrel country” of about 1000 hectares – poor economic value land – in 2006 and 2008 for around $572,000.

    In 2013, he told Fairfax media he understood the ownership could be ” viewed as a conflict of interest “, but denied knowing the region potentially held CSG reserves until years after the purchase.

    That lack of knowledge was despite Baa-naby’s close ties to John Anderson, the former nationals leader, who became chairman of eastern star gas in 2007. Eastern star co-owned exploration rights to a nearby area – PEL 428 – before the company was taken over by santos.

    Property is for sale, no offers as yet, no asking price quoted.

    Santos remains the holder of the exploration licences – 428 and – 238 – near baa-naby’s land holdings.

  27. Kaye Lee

    Vikingduk,

    Have a look at the route for the inland rail that Barnaby is pushing so hard for. It just so happens to go through Gwabegar where Barnaby’s properties are.

    file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/IR_065_Alignment_Map_A4_Flyer_v2.pdf

  28. paul walter

    Roflmao, Kaye Lee.

    Or the writer would cry.

  29. Kaye Lee

    Perhaps Barnaby should have a chat with his state colleagues…..

    Tuesday, August 30, 2016

    State Member for Gippsland East, Tim Bull, said today’s announcement by the Government relating to onshore gas, followed the lead of the previous Coalition Government.

    The announcement today put a permanent ban on onshore unconventional gas and fracking in Victoria and extended the current moratorium on exploration and development of conventional onshore gas until June 2020.

    “It was the Coalition that implemented the initial ban on fracking when it was proceeding under the previous Labor Government, which initially imposed this industry on regional Victoria without any consultation with rural communities,” Mr Bull said.

    “When we came to government in 2010, Labor had approved 23 fracking licences and 73 exploration licences. It was the Nationals in Coalition who stopped this in its tracks by making the initial tough call and implementing the moratorium after concerns were raised by our farming and rural communities.

    “There have only been fracking licences approved in this State by one side of politics and that was Labor, so it is important history is not re-written here.

    “Our farmers and rural communities are not only the backbone of our local economy here in East Gippsland, but critical to our state and nation and that is why we brought the ban in initially. In relation to the continuing conventional gas moratorium, this is the same timeframe as the Coalition announced last year.

    http://www.timbull.com.au/newsroom/media/646-fracking-ban-follows-coalition-lead

  30. OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES

    paul walters. when the true cost of the dud f35 jets is finally disclosed you will see a disaster that dwarfs the one awaiting with regard to the subs. estimated real price of each jet is $220mill not the $90 mil we have been led to believe. the disasters eventuate because politicians are liars who conceal the truth right from the beginning. they think lying and getting away with it is clever politics.

  31. Kaye Lee

    Israeli military officials and defense analysts are beginning to cast doubts over the country’s decision to purchase the US-built fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets.

    In the latest national military review put together by various defense-related ministries within the Israeli government, a conclusion was reached with specific regard to the acquisition of F-35 fighters that placed emphasis on need to “meticulously” assess the jets already purchased and, interestingly enough, to begin considering alternatives if the aircraft did not meet Israeli Air Force expectations.

    The sudden compromise in confidence over the fighter’s ability by Israel following practical assessment of it comes as no surprise for the aircraft is already known to be inherently flawed among other nations that have tested it.

    https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/israel-begins-doubt-capability-new-f-35-fighter-jets/

  32. Vikingduk

    Thanks, Kaye Lee, I’d forgotten the ruptured tomato had this option as well.

    From this morning’s SMH and cartoonist Wilcox –

    Let us pray

    Our coal, who art beneath us,
    Hallowed be thy name.
    Thy seams to be fracked
    Thy wealth be plundered
    And burned, as it is in hell.
    Give us this day our

    “Energy Security” . . .

    And forgive us our absence of policy
    As we forgive those who trash our natural heritage.
    And lead us not into renewables
    But deliver us from evidence
    For thine is the business,
    The power and the interest.

    Forever and ever,

    Amen.

  33. Andreas Bimba

    Malcolm Roberts (the gas industry lobbyist, not the batshit crazy senator), Barnaby Joyce and Malcolm Turnbull all demonstrate that words are cheap and that none of them can be trusted.

    Domestic gas prices have skyrocketed due to their greed, failure to act in the public interest and incompetence. Consumers both domestic and commercial are being ripped off by crony capitalism gone mad.

    Victoria and NSW do not need additional gas production capacity but need a highest priority transition to clean energy generated electricity as that is the long term solution and ultimately it is the cheapest option. More capital invested in fossil fuels merely adds to the already considerable stranded and wasted fossil fuel assets that will soon need to be abandoned to meet our greenhouse gas emission targets. Global warming is real regardless what our rubbish Conservative politicians may think.

    To defeat price gouging by our out of control gas industry it does make sense to build LNG gasification terminals at some of our major cities that can accept gas from LNG ships. Even if the gas comes from the Middle East or Indonesia it makes financial sense to do so as the infrastructure required is quite small. Lithuania did this using a ship mounted LNG gasification facility that is leased and was manufactured in Korea. Using this facility the Russians were forced to greatly reduce their gas prices to compete with Middle East or North American LNG gas that was shipped to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda.

    Developing new coal seam gas infrastructure is a much more expensive option and will be harder to shut down politically when new clean energy capacity comes on line.

  34. Kaye Lee

    By 2021 Australia will eclipse the Persian Gulf state of Qatar to become the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

    In that year, when both countries are forecast to pump and ship roughly 100 billion cubic metres of LNG each, Qatar’s government will receive $26.6 billion in royalties from the multinational companies exploiting its offshore gasfields.

    According to Treasury estimates, Australia will receive just $800 million for the same volume of gas leaving its shores.

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/turnbull-government-called-on-to-explain-where-australias-offshore-gas-wealth-is-going-20161009-gryaoi.html

  35. OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES

    the sell out of this country by treacherous, corrupt and dishonest politicians is a scandal of huge proportions. a quick execution is far too good for them.

  36. jimhaz

    My half-baked effort at rewriting Dr Boli’s version of The Little Dutch Boy Who Saved Holland.

    It only partly fits, but I’m not willing to spend more time making the story fit the fiasco perfectly.

    THE LITTLE OZZIE POLLIE WHO SAVED AUSTRALIA.

    ONCE THERE WAS a little Ozzie pollie who discovered a leak in the supply of gas.

    What should he do? From a single leak, a terrible breach might grow. The whole country could be without enough energy, and all the companies he loved would drown in high energy costs.

    So he did the only thing he could think of. He waved his big finger of blame at the energy producers, and lo behold the leak stopped.
    Of course, now he was stuck. He couldn’t move, because as soon as he did, the gas leak would start again.

    So he stood there waving his finger for quite some time. He was rather tired, and his finger felt a bit numb from the effort, but he knew he was doing his duty.

    At last a MSM representative happened to pass by.

    “Young man,” the MSM representative said with a certain amount of sternness, “why are you waving your finger of blame at the gas producers?”

    “I am stopping a leak,” the pollie explained. “I saw all the gas being sold overseas, so I stuck my finger in the hole.”

    “Heroic pollie!” the media exclaimed. “You shall be rewarded! Meanwhile, keep waving your finger there while we tell the people about your heroics.”

    So the MSM called a meeting of the Big Fossil Fuel Energy Know-alls, and they agreed that the pollie had heroically saved Australia.

    “And now,” the Government asked, “what shall we do about the leak?”

    “It seems to me,” one of the Parliamentary leaders replied, “that private enterprise has already found an admirable solution to the problem. The pollie has shown his middle finger to the gas producers, and the leak has stopped. You might describe it as voluntary self-regulation. There is no need for expensive government action.”

    So the MSM voted to award the pollie a Certificate of Good Citizenship, which the media was delighted to be able to present to the public as news the next day.

    “Thank you,” the pollie said politely, “but if I stop waving my finger at the producers the leaks will starts again”

    “And we appreciate that,” the MSM rep replied. “I may confidently speak for the whole Council of Media in saying that your heroic action of finger waving is universally admired.”
    So the pollie stood there waving his finger about for a few more days.

    It was not long, however, before another leak sprang in the gas supply, a little bit farther down the way.

    “What shall we do?” the Big Energy Users asked the Parliament. “There is another leak.”

    “As private enterprise has so admirably solved the previous problem,” one of the Pollies responded, “the solution to this new leak is obvious. We need only persuade the heroic pollie to wave his finger of blame at the politicians at the State level”

    So they went to the local parliaments and found another pollie who, after almost no persuasion, was willing to wave his mighty finger of blame at State governments.

    It was, however, only a few days later that two more leaks appeared. The situation had suddenly become 3 times worse than first thought. This time it was much harder to persuade other pollies to stick their fingers at the gas producers; and when, a week later, half a dozen more leaks appeared, no volunteers were to be found.

    “What shall we do?” one of the SA State Government asked the Government. “Private enterprise seems no longer to be adequate. We may have to fix the energy supply crisis itself this time with renewable energy.”

    “Nonsense,” said one of the Government. “The solution that worked before will work again. We must simply finger wave private enterprise into the taking the right action.”

    So the Government looked at the States and dragged a number of young pollies by the ears to the gas producers, where they were forced to wave their fingers of blame about somewhat randomly.

    But the Australian energy supply, which was old technology and poorly maintained, continued to spring new leaks here and there, so that it was all the Government could do to find more pollies to wave their fingers of blame about. At last the Government compelled every little politician in the States to plug the energy supply hole. All progressive economic activity came to a halt, as it is well known that politicians themselves are the leading users of hot gas, on which the economy of Australia depended at that time.

    “What shall we do?” the PM asked the Parliament. “We have run out of heroic little pollies. At this rate, we may have to plug the leaks with Clean Coal.”

    “That would be rather inconvenient,” one of the energy providers remarked –we have already made plans to shift to renewables. We were planning to build an energy source that would last forever.

    So all the governments got together and voted to fix the problem by fracking for gas across the whole land; and they voted themselves a number of solid gold spades, befitting their dignity, for the purpose.

    And if you had of gone into the country areas of Australia, Gwabegar for example, and looked into the fields, you would have seen a number of pollies very busy with their dynamite and gold plated spades, trying to dig a new energy supply for the Big Energy users. It was lucky for them that the people of Australia mistook the pollies for a party of archaeologists looking for ancient alchemy to convert coal into Clean Energy, and this allowed them to continue the work uninterrupted by common sense.

    Now though 40 years later, unfortunately all the fracking and coal mines produced way too much hot gas and the ice caps melted, completely flooding the great plains of agriculture. The Gas Coast, Gwabegar, is only a short trip down the road.

  37. Johno

    Vikingduc… Was that from Barnaby’s new testament.

  38. Kaye Lee

    🙂 jimhaz. How very appropriate. Well done

  39. paul walter

    I always marvel that multi billion dollar outrages such as occur in Defence, or with mining royalties and rent, or infrastructure tendering, even obvious info always get passed over as major news, yet if a moslem passes wind in London, we never hear the end of it.

  40. OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES

    ‘These politicians need a salary cut of 75% , because we are paying millions to people to represent us, but who care not one iota for our welfare.’. when u consider that their pensions are guarateed under the future fund is it any wonder they are completely unaccountable.

  41. OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES

    malcolm roberts and his global.fascist oil company mates can take their money and shove it up their A.R.S.E as we dont need their money to develop our own resources. we hve 2 trillion in super if necessary. their crap reasons dont cut the mustard. we dont need them, they need us. they need our consent to take our minerals. we have the power not them. we need to use that power for our own good not for the good of the shareholders of muti national corporations and their banker mates.

  42. Maeve Carney

    Why do politicians lie, when they surely must know, it is easy to prove they are lying? Makes no sense to me. Why would they expect anyone to vote for them?

  43. Kaye Lee

    Oh and another thing about Barnaby’s property….John Anderson was appointed chairman of Eastern Star Gas in 2007 while still an MP. Anderson was Barnaby’s campaign manager in New England in 2013 and publicly supported him for leader of the Nationals.

  44. Frank Smith

    Very smelly, Kaye Lee.

  45. Matters Not

    Seems to me that we can, and should, do better than innuendo. How often have I read that Larry Anthony while Chairman of Indue (supposedly) caused all sorts of donations to flow to political benefactors. That Indue is/was a ‘cash cow’ for the National Party. The paucity of evidence is palpable.

    It’s all rather childish. Hard evidence would be appreciated.

  46. John Holmes

    One question re Gas prices is why is gas sourced from WA being sold in India at a lower price than to WA. Surely this represents a failure in our royalty system. The ‘free on board’ export price for a product sourced from Australia should be the same as the price for Australian consumers at the refinery gates. Any difference represents stealing from Australia.

  47. Kaye Lee

    MN,

    Barnaby said he had no idea that his property could be explored for CSG until a neighbour alerted him in 2011. That just doesn’t ring true because the petroleum exploration licence would have come up when doing the search on the property and would be mentioned in the contract of sale.

    In 2013, Fairfax Media spoke to Denis Todd, a farmer from nearby Baradine and a Warrumbungle Shire councillor.

    He recalled a conversation with Mr Joyce at a petrol station in about 2009. “I asked him why did you buy that mongrel country out there, is there going to be a coal mine?” Mr Todd said.

    According to him, Mr Joyce replied: “The coal’s too deep but there’s plenty of gas.”

    It was also mentioned years ago, when this was first brought up, that maybe he was banking on the inland rail – lo and behold, the proposed route goes through Gwabegar.

    Whatever the truth, it is not a good look

  48. helvityni

    “Barnaby said he had no idea that his property could be explored for CSG until a neighbour alerted him in 2011.”

    A man who doesn’t know which country. he comes from, is not expected to know what’s happening on his farm…

    My problem is why do people like him, Micahelia, Dutton, Hanson, Pyne, Abbott, etc. get voted in any position, be it a job as a farm manager or a farmhand…???

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