LNP senator Susan McDonald has told a gas industry conference in Sydney that a Coalition government would make gas a critical mineral.

That would give the gas industry access to the $4bn fund established to help new industries transition to net zero.

It’s also insane.

The Guardian’s incredible environment reporter Lisa Cox has written on that here.

The Coalition has told a gas industry conference in Sydney it would give gas the same status as a critical mineral, to allow the industry to access a $4bn export finance fund set up to support the transition to net zero.

Adam Bandt had some thoughts:

Labor and Liberal are now in a contest as to who loves gas the most.

They’re each trying to outbid each other to open up new coal and gas projects and to say they’ll bend even further for the big gas corporations that pay no tax and get their gas for free.

Well gas is as dirty as coal, and the scientists have said very clearly, there can be no new coal and gas mines open if we’re to have any chance of meeting our climate targets. The Greens are now the only party at this election saying we’ll put a stop to opening these massive new gas projects that are just climate bombs and contain countries worth of pollution.”