The government’s Future Gas Strategy is a belated recognition by Labor that gas is a critical part of the energy transition, after years of demonising the gas industry to flag its green credentials. “We cannot turn off Australia’s gas without significant adverse effects to Australians and our region”, is its message to the anti-fossil fuel activists.

But the 67-page document is not a strategy for action, despite the title. It correctly describes looming gas shortages. It backs both more gas exploration, and carbon capture and storage to make gas more sustainable. But neither those who want more gas developed, or indeed those who want users weaned off gas faster, are going to find much strikingly new in it on what should be done.