and the news is - half a story - what about producers? No mention at all - so shareholders and companies just get the vaso out and take one for the team?

You ask a public company to guarantee gas volume and then you don't compensate them ? Geeze aussie gas companies must be scared of possible other threatening tax or something?

Albanese announces $1.5b in bill relief from April as states agree to cap coal price

By David Crowe

December 9, 2022 — 4.56pm

The federal government will spend $1.5 billion on payments to households and small businesses from April next year under a deal with the states to ease pressure on energy bills by capping the price of coal and gas and helping vulnerable customers.

The financial assistance will flow through the states to help Australians on income support and other federal social services programs, while the size of the small businesses that can qualify is yet to be decided.

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“It will also be temporary but will start in the second quarter of 2023,” he said.

In a sign of the urgent work to enforce the new plan, federal parliament will be recalled next week to pass laws that give the government clear authority to cap the price of gas for domestic customers and bring down a vital input cost for gas-fire electricity generators and big manufacturers.

Albanese reached a broad agreement with state and territory leaders on Friday to introduce four new measures after declaring he wanted a solution by Christmas: capping price of domestic coal to $125; putting a $12 a gigajoule price on gas; federal compensation for some coal producers; and the $1.5 billion to reduce bills.

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Federal officials estimate the price controls on gas will mean prices rise 18 per cent this year and 4 per cent next year, a shift in the forecast because the compound effect would be a 23 per cent increase over two years.

But the framework to rein in prices will need further talks between Canberra and the states to decide how the financial assistance will flow, most likely by offering taxpayer help to retailers before they send bills to households.

While the big coal-producing states of NSW and Queensland will impose the price controls on coal for domestic customers – while leaving export contracts alone – the gas controls will be done by the federal government and will require parliament to meet.