Australian Gas Industry Funds Multimillion-Dollar Campaign Against Proposed Tax

A parliamentary inquiry in Australia heard that the gas industry is funding a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign to oppose a proposed new tax. Shell Australia’s country chair, Cecile Wake, told the inquiry that her company is contributing about $1 million to the campaign organized by the Australian Energy Producers (AEP).

Wake, who was appointed as AEP’s board chair earlier this year, stated that six or seven other large AEP members are each contributing similar amounts, resulting in at least $5 million for the campaign. Under questioning from independent senator David Pocock, Wake said the campaign aims to counter claims made by advocates for the gas tax.

She described those claims as selective and stated that the campaign's budget is smaller than the spending by the industry's opponents.

“What we are trying to do through that (the campaign) is to counter-balance the very selective and misleading representations of a number of other social commentators. It is a modest and proportionate amount to spend to put some salient facts in front of the Australian public.”

Wake added that the campaign is fact-based and intended to allow the public to draw their own conclusions.

No further details on the individual or the nature of the conduct were provided in the report.

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