The leader of The Nationals, David Littleproud, claims that energy prices under a first-term Coalition government will decrease due to plans to increase gas supply, but he did not provide modeling or acknowledge significant “capacity constraints.” The Coalition intends to fast-track the approval of Woodside’s North-West Shelf gas project and offer subsidies to existing gas plants. They also plan to remove unspecified red tape and amend the “national interest” test in the environmental approval process to give greater importance to economic and social benefits.

Littleproud stated that increasing supply is the only way to lower energy prices in the short-term. However, experts have expressed skepticism about this claim, stating that past promises have not come true and that the current supply constraints will not be easily resolved.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese questioned whether the Coalition could deliver on their promises, referencing the previous “gas-led recovery” plan by former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, which did not have any significant impact. Labor had also previously promised cheaper electricity prices, but these predictions have not been met due to market volatility and international factors.

The article also mentions concerns about the environmental impact of relying on gas and the challenges of moving gas from Queensland to southern states.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/24/nationals-electricity-power-prices-first-term-david-littleproud