On Wednesday, 13 May 2026, I asked the Premier if his government would raise royalty rates on big gas companies, who currently pay less tax than the average Queenslander.
You can read my question and the Premier's response below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings (Hansard) here.
Mr BERKMAN: My question is to the Premier. Big gas companies are ripping us off, paying less tax than the average Queenslander. Will this government do what Albanese’s has failed to do and tax big gas properly by raising royalties?
Dr ROWAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. There is an imputation or inference contained within that question and I ask you to consider that and either ask for it to be rephrased or rule the question out of order.
Mr SPEAKER: I will get some advice on that. Member for Maiwar, could you repeat that question?
Mr BERKMAN: I am more than happy to. I would welcome any clarification the Leader of the House can give us as to what the imputation is.
Mr SPEAKER: Just repeat the question for me.
Mr BERKMAN: To the Premier: big gas companies are ripping us off, paying less tax than the average Queenslander. Will this government do what Albanese’s has failed to do and tax big gas properly by raising royalties?
Mr SPEAKER: Member, it is that first sentence that you might have to rephrase for me.
Mr BERKMAN: If you are happy for me to rephrase it, I will go right ahead.
Mr SPEAKER: Try. This is your chance.
Mr BERKMAN: Queenslanders are being sold short by big gas companies in Queensland who pay less tax than the average Queenslander. Will this government do what Albanese’s has failed to do and tax big gas companies by raising royalties?
Mr SPEAKER: Premier, I will allow the question. Obviously there is no way to authenticate it, so you have a bit of latitude in how you answer it.
Mr CRISAFULLI: Am I the only one who sees the irony in the member for Maiwar, who has fought all his life against the gas industry, asking a question about revenue from the gas industry? It is like a vegan saying that the steak was overcooked. I say to the honourable member: right now there is only one state doing heavy lifting on gas—only one state. It is not New South Wales, because for decades they have refused to do the hard yards. It is not Victoria, because that is an administration so far gone that there is not even a hint of economic security and sovereignty. It is this state. There is only one thing I will agree with the member on—that is, this state needs to get its fair share, because it is this state that has taken the hard decisions. It is this state that implemented a GasFields Commission when we needed one to get people to believe in the industry, to make sure communities like Dalby and Chinchilla could get some benefit. It was this state. Do members know what happened on the back of it? Those communities came on the journey and they saw an opportunity for their kids. It was this state that was prepared to back people who put on high-vis and go to work— people the member does not support and people the member does not represent. There are a lot of people sitting on this side of the House who do. There are people on this side of the House who have made a living in those industries and will back them every day of the week.
I say to the Treasurer in Canberra and the honourable Prime Minister: when you go overseas to do deals to secure the petrol and the diesel that we need because this state has not been prepared to invest, remember two things: firstly, it is Queensland gas that you are horse trading with; and, secondly, while you are begging for fuel, there is a state that is prepared to do the heavy lifting and get it for you.
All we want from those opposite is to get out of the way, because before the crisis it was this state that was prepared to explore. Before the crisis it was this state that was prepared to sign leases to provide long-term storage opportunities.
Mr BERKMAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order on relevance. The question is to do with whether royalties would be raised to get a fair share from gas companies.
Mr SPEAKER: You are talking about relevance. I allowed a bit of latitude when allowing the question at all.
Mr CRISAFULLI: It is only this state that is prepared to do the planning arrangements that are needed to give people the opportunity to bring a refinery back to sovereignty in this country, because for the past 30 years in this country we have celebrated knocking them over rather than building them and running them.
Mr BERKMAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. There is still not a word from the Premier about royalties, with 13 seconds left on the clock.
Dr ROWAN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order. You have already ruled that the Premier is being relevant. There was a lot of latitude allowed. I suggest to you that the member for Maiwar is starting to be disorderly in relation to that.
Mr SPEAKER: I allowed latitude given the question. The Premier has 12 seconds left to round out his response.
Mr CRISAFULLI: The royalties come from Queensland and they deserve to belong to Queensland. After two minutes and 50 seconds of attack, I will say one thing about the member for Maiwar: at least he has the ticker to ask me a question.