Labor MP Ed Husic has added to the cacophony of voices calling for a new 25% tax on gas exports.
The member for Chifley in Western Sydney told the ABC “people think that a lot of these multinational gas companies have had an obscenely sweet deal for way too long and the country has been the poorer for it”.
The comments coincide with the beginning of a Senate inquiry into gas taxation, chaired by Greens Senator Steph Hodgins-May.
The inquiry will look at whether Australia's oil and gas tax arrangements are fit for purpose, especially given the volatility of global energy prices caused by the Middle East conflict.
It will also explore if taxing resources differently could generate more money for cost of living relief and energy independence.
Research from the Australia Institute estimates a minimum 25% tax would bring in $17 billion dollars a year for the commonwealth.
The inquiry will hear from experts, community groups and the fossil fuel industry.
A recent Redbridge poll found a majority of Australians from across the political spectrum are in favor of introducing a tax on gas exports.
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