Labor backbencher Dave Kelly has used parliamentary privilege to level an extraordinary attack on Woodside boss Meg O’Neill.
Speaking to the government’s budget appropriation bill on Wednesday night, Kelly, the former WA science minister, segued comments about climate change spending into an attack on O’Neill’s recent criticism of young Australians’ opposition to fossil fuels.
Former WA Labor minister and Bassendean MP Dave Kelly.Credit: David Allan-Petale
He called on her to apologise to all young Australians and said he would help arrange a meeting between her and young West Australians to discuss their climate change concerns.
“I was very disappointed by comments made recently by Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill,” he said.
“Meg O’Neill launched a quite disrespectful – and, arguably, arrogant – attack on young people for their views on climate change and, in particular, for their views on fossil fuels like the gas that is at the heart of Woodside’s business.
“I find Ms O’Neill’s comments disrespectful to the very real concerns that young people have about climate change.
“The comments also make it sound like Ms O’Neill does not take the issue of climate change seriously.
“Young Australians who are concerned about climate change are definitely not engaged in some frivolous crusade, as Ms O’Neill suggests. They are simply following the evidence. They are following the science.
“Every company needs a social licence to operate. I suggest that Ms O’Neill should apologise to young Australians for her comments.
“I would also be happy to arrange for Ms O’Neill to meet directly with young people to hear about their climate change concerns.”
Kelly said the world had an ever-narrowing pathway to reach net zero by 2050 and “within that pathway the role of gas as a transition fuel is also narrowing”.
Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill speaks at the Australian Energy Producers Conference in May.
Kelly’s comments represent a significant step away from WA Labor’s collective public support of Woodside, the state’s fossil fuel sector, and gas as a transition fuel.
They also expose a deep rift on climate change policy between more progressive MPs in the party, which was first aired by the former Thornlie MP Chris Tallentire last year.
“In this situation, it seems quite unfair of Ms O’Neill to be, in a rather frivolous way, taking a swipe at younger generations, especially when young people rarely get to the microphone in the same way that she does,” Kelly said.
“Ms O’Neill should show she understands the seriousness of the climate change challenge and how she is part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
O’Neill railed against young people’s vocal opposition to fossil fuels at the Australian Energy Producers’ annual conference in Brisbane in May, accusing them of being hypocritical.
“It’s been a fascinating journey to watch the discussion, particularly amongst young people who have this very ideological, almost zealous view of fossil fuels bad, renewables good, that are happily plugging in their devices, ordering things from [online fast-fashion stores] Shein and Temu – having one little thing shipped to their house without any sort of recognition of the energy and carbon impact of their actions,” she said in widely reported comments at the conference.
A Woodside spokesman said the comments were not an attack on young people, but an observation made in the context of a broader discussion about activism and the energy transition.
“They highlighted an apparent dichotomy between the behaviour of some people who on the one hand condemn an industry that underpins their lifestyles while on the other embracing the everyday comforts and conveniences that its existence provides them,” he said.
The spokesman said oil and gas was in everyday items like clothes and mobile phones, was feedstock for fertilisers used by farmers, and demand was not going away.
“In addition, the energy security delivered by the natural gas Woodside produces will be critical to the WA government’s Made in WA policy,” he said
“With gas meeting around half of WA’s total energy needs through the grid, it is delivering the reliable and cost-effective power to homes and businesses across the state, as well as driving those critical sectors that make WA the economic engine room of the nation.”
The spokesman said people needed to know the facts about natural gas and its importance in their lives and efforts to decarbonise.
Acting Premier Rita Saffioti was forced to downplay Kelly’s comments on Thursday morning and reaffirm her party’s commitment to gas.
“I don’t agree with the member’s comments. This is not a position of our government and the CEO of Woodside has got the ability to make whatever comment she sees fit,” she said.
“Everyone has a right to present their views, but from a government point of view, our point of view is very much strongly supporting gas as a key transition fuel, and that’s something that, as a government, we support, and we also publicise, on numerous occasions.”
Kelly resigned from the WA cabinet in 2022 at the request of former WA premier Mark McGowan.