Federal election 2025: Peter Dutton vows to end stalemate over gas production off WA’s north-west coast

Peter Dutton has vowed to end the stalemate over the future of gas production off WA’s north-west coast within 30 days of being elected as he draws clear battle lines over the resources industry. The Opposition Leader hit the campaign trail in Perth on Tuesday ahead of a Federal election that must be held on or before May 17, but he was branded “reckless” and “anti-WA” by Labor after confirming he would also rip-up production tax credits. The West Australian can reveal that Mr Dutton will promise a new “national interest test” to fast-track the environmental assessment of Woodside’s $30 billion extension of the North West Shelf joint venture. “We would expedite consideration of the North-West Shelf project as a matter of urgency,” he said. “Unlike Labor, we recognise the significance of the North West Shelf to the WA economy, and the importance of secure and reliable gas supplies in pushing down energy prices. “The Albanese Labor Government has been the most anti-resources, anti-mining, anti-WA Federal government in living memory. “It is of national importance that this project not be held up any longer.” Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has delayed her decision on the Woodside proposal, blaming State bureaucrats for being too slow to pass on crucial paperwork. But both the Cook and Albanese governments hit out at Mr Dutton for being “reckless” and anti-WA on Tuesday, after he confirmed he planned to repeal production tax credits for critical minerals that passed Parliament in February. He initially avoided the question. “We will do everything we can to get more commodity out of the ground, whether it’s critical minerals, whether it’s iron ore” Mr Dutton said. “Our government would be about making sure we can turbo-charge the Western Australian economy.” When pressed over how, and his previous criticism of the $27 billion production credits as “tax cuts for billionaires”, Mr Dutton confirmed “we would repeal it”. “We don’t believe that it’s in WA’s best interests and that’s been the advice that we’ve received from a number of significant players in the West as well,” he said. He vowed to focus instead on overhauling “costly” regulations that take “too long” and to use critical minerals to reset Australia’s trade relationship with the US. Premier Roger Cook claimed scrapping production credits would put WA’s economic future at risk. “Peter Dutton simply doesn’t get WA,” he said. “His decision to oppose production tax credits is reckless, it’s anti-resources and it’s anti-WA.” Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King went even further, calling it a “moronic” plan. “The Liberal Party has abandoned Western Australia and the future of its resources sector,” she said. “Western Australians are not fools. They know (Mr Dutton) is making these cuts to pay for a nuclear reactor in Collie.” Mr Dutton pointed to the State election result and a 20 per cent swing against Labor in Collie-Preston as evidence there is a mood for change, but shrugged off the detail that most of that swing did not go the Liberals’ way. The Liberal candidate in Collie-Preston gained 8 per cent, not enough to win, but Mr Dutton said that would be enough to secure victory in crucial WA seats at the Federal poll. “That will be a great day for our country because we’ll be able to form a majority government,” he said. Mr Dutton attended the campaign launch of Liberal candidate for Swan, Mic Fels, on Tuesday evening. But unlike the fanfare that surrounded the campaign launch in the key seat of Curtin, the media was not invited to attend the launch at the Empire Bar in Burswood. Mr Dutton will on Wednesday campaign alongside Curtin candidate Tom White, who is being showered with party resources in an attempt to seize the western suburbs seat back from teal independent Kate Chaney. “If you’re voting for Kate Chaney, you’re voting for Anthony Albanese,” Mr Dutton said. “If you’re voting for Kate Chaney, you’re not voting for the WA economy to grow.” The potential influence of the teals and the Greens to sway a minority Labor government has become a key part of the Coalition’s campaign strategy. “Activists are emboldened under this Government,” shadow environment minister Jonno Duniam said. “They have plunged millions of dollars into the Environmental Defenders Office, which has frustrated and delayed significant projects and industries across the country and it needs to stop.” The Opposition is also vowing to streamline environmental approvals, require stronger consideration of economic benefits and establish a statute of limitations, limiting public requests for reconsideration to a maximum of 12 months. “The Coalition will put certainty front and centre of our decisions without sacrificing on environmental standards,” shadow resources minister Susan Mcdonald said.