The Albanese government has denied it plans to implement a new gas tax despite a clause in Labor’s draft National Platform endorsing the plan.
Labor delegates from around the country will come together to hash out the platform at a three-day National Conference in Adelaide later this week.
While Labor’s federal caucus has the ultimate say on the policies that the Albanese government takes to an election, the National Platform lays out the party’s values and long-term policy goals.
And the draft version to be debated by delegates appears to endorse union demands for a cent gas export tax.
“Labor will ensure that the Australian people receive a fairer return from their natural resources including through appropriate taxation arrangements, while securing Australia’s role as a reliable international energy supplier and investment partner,” the clause states.
But Labor’s Matt Thistlethwaite denied the party was planning to introduce a gas tax, telling Sky News Australia’s Pete Stefanovic that was “not the case”.
“It’s a draft proposal. It hasn’t been adopted yet,” the Assistant Immigration Minister said.
Mr Thistlethwaite said the party had already made significant changes to the way natural resources were taxed, through changes to the petroleum resource rent tax and the introduction of a 20 per cent gas reservation policy.
“They’re the only plans we have for reforming taxation of gas,” he said.
But Liberal Senator Maria Kovacic said the party had already gone further than they had before introducing changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax.
“It sounds to me that that’s one step further than the prime minister saying that ‘there will be no new tax’, because it’s now in draft form,” Senator Kovacic said.
“And let’s be clear: at this national conference, unions will make demands, and the unions will get what they want. And if they want a gas tax, they will get a gas tax, and it doesn’t matter what the prime minister says.”
Australia’s peak union body, the ACTU – which has significant sway inside the Australian Labor Party – has called for the introduction of a 25 per cent gas tax.
But Mr Thistlethwaite said it was the federal Labor caucus which determined the policies that were taken to parliament, adding they “don’t have any plans for changes to gas taxes”.
Deputy Liberal Leader Jane Hume also weighed in on Monday, pointing to previous times the government had backflipped on its election commitments.
“We should never forget that the Labor Party is the political arm of the union movements. So if the unions want a higher gas tax, they’ll get a higher tax,” she said.
“And even if the Prime Minister says, no, we’ll never have a gas tax, you can take me at my word.
“Well, let’s face it, we took him at his word about negative gearing, about capital gains, about taxes on trusts, about taxes on superannuation, about $275 off your energy bills.
“His word is worth nothing.”