Antinuclear

More than twice as many Australians support moratoriums on fracking (56 per cent) as those who oppose them (20 per cent), according to an Australia Institute survey of 1420 people conducted over a week in March.

That majority in favour of bans on new unconventional gas extractions including hydraulic fracturing (fracking) was evident across all states.

The opposition to fracking also crossed party lines, with Labor, Liberal and minor party voters all expressing concern……

Australia Institute deputy director Ebony Bennett said industry demands to open more land to fracking were not about reducing energy prices but maximising profits.

“The current gas crisis and high gas prices are not an unintended consequence, but the result of linking Australia to the international gas market,” she said.

Shadow Environment Minister Mark Butler said Labor had dragged the government kicking as screaming to its decision to place export restrictions on the gas companies.

“We’d seen for a couple of years that there was a potential supply crunch coming our way because of the LNG operations and that’s why we announced in 2015 that we thought a policy of a national interest test should be adopted,” he told Insiders.

“We were rubbished by Malcolm Turnbull. He called us irresponsible. That we would wreck investment.

“The Commonwealth absolutely needed to take action and we welcome the fact that Malcolm Turnbull finally came to that decision this week.”

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the government’s export restrictions would do nothing to reduce the cost of gas domestically.

“What we’ve had happen is our gas market opened up to the international market, the prices are set at the world price,” she said. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/silly-states-holding-business-back-resources-minister/news-story/994a029f28672c0630e87dc10072346c