Peter Dutton has pledged to introduce an east coast gas reservation scheme aimed at reducing power prices, and to terminate all 41,000 federal public servants appointed under Anthony Albanese if he is elected in what he’s calling a pivotal moment for the nation. Delivering his budget reply on Thursday night, Dutton warned that Australia’s prosperity would face long-term damage if Labor retained power.
In the lead-up to the election, expected to be announced by the Prime Minister on Friday either for 3 May or 10 May, Dutton’s speech set the tone for the upcoming campaign. He committed to halving the fuel excise for 12 months, claiming this would save motorists $14 per week. He also announced a “national gas plan” that includes a reservation scheme for LNG producers to reserve more supply for domestic use, ensuring an additional 10-20% of the east coast’s gas demand is met. Although gas reservation schemes currently exist in Queensland and Western Australia, the plan aims to decouple gas sold domestically from overseas markets to shield Australia from international price shocks.
Dutton plans to allow Labor’s renewables-focused Capacity Investment Scheme to invest in gas projects and allocate $1 billion to gas infrastructure. He intends to impose “use-it-or-lose” rules for gas drilling companies, aiming to bring down wholesale gas prices which would positively impact the economy.
In terms of public service, Dutton confirmed that all 41,000 public servant positions created under Labor would be eliminated, claiming that these redundancies would save $7 billion annually and over $10 billion across the forward estimates. He reassured that frontline services, including health, aged care, NDIS, defense, and veterans, would continue to be funded in line with the national interest.
Dutton’s speech also touched upon his plans to reduce permanent migration by 25% to address housing availability. Though, he did not specify targets for net overseas migration, which is projected to decrease under budget forecasts.
No new housing supply policies were announced, and while Dutton did not unveil a figure for defense spending, he indicated that during the campaign, the opposition would announce their significant funding commitment to defense — one that would outstrip Labor’s target in light of pressure from the Trump administration to increase military spending.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/27/peter-dutton-budget-reply-speech-gas-reservation-scheme-public-service-cuts
