Sam Hawley

There are, of course, as we mentioned, people here who think, really, this is a very risky idea to bring in a tax like this.

Now, the gas companies, of course, are among them.

Now, they've also appeared before this Greens-led Senate inquiry.

Shell Australia Chair Cecile Wake says it would be a very ill-advised move.

So what are they actually arguing?

All right.

Well, the opposition leader, Angus Taylor, he doesn't think this is a very good idea to bring in this sort of tax.

And really neither does the prime minister, right, Anthony Albanese?

So, Clare, let's consider then more deeply the politics of all of this.

In Western Australia, Woodside has warned it would kill off a $30 billion project in that state.

Now, that's got the Premier, Roger Cook, rather worried.

He doesn't like the sound of that.

Okay, so votes are always in the mind of governments, I suppose, in the next election.

But what do you think, Clare, politically and financially, would this actually be a good move for the Labor government to actually consider at least bringing in this sort of gas tax?

Clare Armstrong is the ABC's chief digital correspondent.

This episode was produced by Sydney Peed.

Audio production by Sam Dunn.

Our supervising producer is David Cody.

I'm Sam Hawley.

Thanks for listening.