Opened the debate
The Minister supported the bill as a necessary step to establish a nationally consistent domestic gas reservation framework. King argued that the amendments ensure exporters contribute genuine additional gas to the domestic market rather than reallocating existing supplies. The legislation introduces flexibility mechanisms while maintaining strict supply obligations for licence holders. It also modernises the expression-of-interest process and strengthens market conduct rules to prevent paper compliance. The bill facilitates an orderly transition from the previous security mechanism to a permanent legislative solution.