<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>340999</docID> <postdate>2025-03-24 13:37:48</postdate> <headline>Pocock labels energy bill relief a ‘band-aid solution’</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-341000" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250324148236227647-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Independent Senator David Pocock speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House. Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By<strong> Tess Ikonomou</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Australia is being urged to divert uncontracted gas back to the domestic market to provide households with long-lasting energy bill relief.</strong></p> <p>Independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie have lashed Labor's $150 energy rebates for households as a "band-aid solution".</p> <p>They want the federal government to stop exporting so much gas overseas, so households and businesses have access first.</p> <p>Senator Pocock said Australia didn't have a gas supply shortage, but a gas export problem with 80 per cent being sent abroad.</p> <p>"This is a problem that can be solved," he said on Monday.</p> <p>"What we haven't seen is the political will from the major parties who actually say Australians should benefit from Australian gas first before we export."</p> <p>Senator Lambie said the nation needed a gas reserve policy of 15 per cent.</p> <p>"This is not about digging up more gas. This is not about 'drill, baby drill'. This is about prioritising where our gas goes," she said.</p> <p>"The first thing you (government) could be... doing this week, is putting through a gas reserve policy for this country to make energy prices reduced.</p> <p>"Stop this rubbish of not doing means testing and giving people like me $150 off my electricity bill."</p> <p>The Australian Energy Market Operator has tempered warnings about shortfalls as early as this year.</p> <p>But long-term risks to gas supply remained serious, it said in its latest outlook for the east coast gas market.</p> <p>Analysis from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found the projected shortfall in domestic gas markets could be met by diverting uncontracted gas.</p> <p>Australia is Japan's single-largest provider of energy.</p> <p>Nationals leader David Littleproud said gas was the only short-term way to put downward pressure on energy prices.</p> <p>"It's the only input that you can ramp up, supply quickly," he told Sky News.</p> <p>Mark Ogge, from the Australia Institute, said consecutive governments had given away the nation's gas "for free" to multinationals.</p> <p>"Big gas are taking the piss, our governments are letting them, and ordinary Australians are paying the price," he said.</p> <p>Australian Council of Social Service chief executive Cassandra Goldie said leaders needed to pull every lever to both bring down energy prices and transition to a clean economy.</p> </body>