Support for domgas review, page-98

The foundation for this domestic gas reservation policy seems to be that the gas belongs to the State. True, but the State didn't know where it was, so it granted exploration licences and leases to those companies which were prepared to risk their capital to find the gas. We are quite a big State and there were plenty of risks. Strike invested our money and its expertise in finding where the gas was. To me those facts look like ownership transferred to Strike. Also we are not yet a socialist State like Victoria. Most of us believe in free enterprise and an open market. What other minerals are banned from the export market? Apparently the contracts drawn for the major gas fields did not say when the 15 per cent had to be reserved so the majors, quite sensibly, have waited until it makes sense to sell locally. Now we are in a different scenario. It might be very sensible to let our onshore gas producers sell some (say 20 per cent) of THEIR gas on the more lucrative international market. With the State having the right to call some of it back for local emergency shortfall (with the gas owners having the right to catch up later with more international sales) so our manufacturers and householders can share the happy circumstance that we have lots of gas which enterprising companies have tracked down. It seems to me that Mr Cook has accurately assessed the need for a sensible compromise which balances the need for onshore processing facilities and cheaper gas for Western Australians. As a Liberal voter it is surprisingly easy to concede that to him. We are all Western Australians after all and minerals have done us proud.