Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Amendment (Benefit to Australia) Bill 2020

The majority voted against an amendment to the usual second reading motion, which is "that the bill be read a second time". To read a bill a second time is to agree with its main idea.

The amendment was introduced by West Australian Senator Dorinda Cox (Greens).

Motion text

At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate:

(a) is of the opinion that:

(i) Australia's offshore oil and gas industry is a large contributor to climate change, and

(ii) it is to the benefit of the Australian community that no new fossil fuel projects are opened; and

(b) calls on the Government to:

(i) introduce a 10% Commonwealth royalty for gas extraction, creditable against the petroleum resource rent tax, and

(ii) end all public subsidies of coal, oil and gas, and

(iii) implement a long-term solution to ensure industry covers the full cost of offshore decommissioning, informed by overseas models that are underpinned by transparency and accountability".