Rant by Therese Trouserzoff

So we’ve heard this crap before.  Unless governments roll over and allow coal seam gas (CSG) exploration and exploitation wherever and whenever these cretins want, they will wreak havoc amongst local consumers.

The latest piece of blackmail is an application to increase the domestic price of natural gas by 20% – and the justification is that the massive new finds are ‘for the export market’ and there will be a shortage locally.

Fuck these people.  The natural resources belong to Australia, and any government that allows some piss head energy company to hold it to ransom, threatening to send local businesses to the wall in the name of export commitments, ought to be thrown down a disused well and burnt.

We have gas hot water and cooking.  Not a problem to install solar hot water and switch to electric cooking.

While I accept that in general, no business would want to sell at lower prices into a local market when there is a higher return available internationally, there is a point where national interest and preventing environmental degradation have to take precedence as the determinants of corporate and social action.

So, just as the Australian government told Coca Cola Amatil to pull its head in over their  SPC Ardmona blackmail attempt, it’s time for ALL Australian jurisdictions to insist on actual serious control over energy extraction.  Simple solution – resources tax on the energy producers and subsidies for disadvantaged Australian consumers.  Wait – didn’t a previous government talk about something like this ?  Isn’t this about looking after your own family before thinking about screwing the rest of the world ?

If there was a natural prime target to attack hateful corporate bastardry, fracking CSG companies would have to be at the top of the list.  All power to the farmers and local action groups.  Go hard against these fracking mongrel bastards.