Western Australian gas companies Mineral Resources and Woodside gave more than $20,000 to WA Labor while it was considering changes to its domestic gas policy that allowed more gas to be exported from the state.
On Thursday the state government lifted a ban on onshore gas being exported, allowing 20% to go overseas until 2031, in a change the premier, Roger Cook, said would boost the state’s gas industry.
Disclosures to the WA electoral commission show Mineral Resources, founded by billionaire Chris Ellison, gave WA Labor $8,750 in three payments since 1 July. Woodside gave $12,100 in two payments over the same period.
In a statement, Woodside said the amounts gifted to Labor were not donations but payments “to attend adhoc business engagement events arranged by political stakeholders”.
The company’s North West Shelf joint venture was currently “working to secure third-party gas supply” and Woodside was “open to talking to resource owners about opportunities to utilise available processing capacity,” the statement added.
The WA Greens MP Brad Pettitt said the community would be “rightly outraged” at the donations, which he said should be against the law, while conservationists said the donations were “disgraceful” and were the “tip of the iceberg” of the resources industry’s influence in the state.
Pettitt said Mineral Resources and Woodside were “two of the biggest winners” on the policy changes and Western Australians “will be rightly outraged” by the donations.
“This kind of behaviour does not pass the pub test and, frankly, should be illegal,” he said.
“It’s clear that despite changes to electoral laws last year, our donations [regime] is still broken and corporations are still exerting undue influence over our democracy.”
The former WA premier Mark McGowan, who in 2020 introduced the export ban for onshore producers, last year took a part-time role as a strategic adviser at Mineral Resources.
In a statement, Mineral Resources said: “Certainty in the domestic gas policy is welcome. MinRes will continue assessing all options to maximise value from our Perth Basin exploration success. Mr McGowan is a consultant to MinRes. He does not represent the company externally.”
Pettitt called on Cook to release details of any meetings between the government and McGowan in his advisory role for the company.
“The WA community is sick of this Labor government working for the big gas companies rather than listening to the experts and [protecting] our planet and our kids’ futures,” he said.
A spokesperson for Cook said the premier “hasn’t met with Mark McGowan regarding Mineral Resources” and directed the Guardian to WA Labor for questions about political donations.
When asked on Thursday about the donations from Mineral Resources, Cook said the decision to allow some onshore gas to be exported was made “in the interests of West Australian households and West Australian industry”.
He said: “I’m sure [Mineral Resources managing director] Chris Ellison has engaged with the government in the interests of his company, and that’s what we are endeavouring to do here.”
“We treat everyone in an industry as equals, regardless of where they might be making political donations or other activities.”
On suggestions Mineral Resources would be big winners from the changes, he said the company “may not see it in that way”.
“We know that this isn’t a decision that will please all consumers of gas. It’s not a decision that will please all producers of gas. We believe it is getting the balance right.”
Last week the state’s police minister, Paul Papalia, accused the WA Nationals of being “a wholly owned subsidiary of the gun lobby” after the party accepted a $50,000 donation from the Sporting Shooters Association of WA.
Jess Beckerling, the executive director of the Conservation Council of WA, said WA Labor “can’t have it both ways” and asked “how can taking gas money be any different” to a party accepting money from a pro-gun group.
“These donations are disgraceful,” she said. “Governments should not be getting donations from companies at the same time as working on policies that will affect those same companies.
“These are small amounts against the profits of these companies and they’re the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the influence these companies have in WA. We should be rapidly reducing emissions and these close relationships have a lot to answer for.”
