The question that should be dominating debate is how quickly Australia can replace gas with renewables

‘Gas used to be cheap but quickly became expensive in eastern Australia after the creation of a large export industry in Gladstone, Queensland.’ Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters

Much has changed when it comes to climate and energy in Australia during 2022 but the country ends the year still needing an honest conversation about gas – what it is, the damage it does and the extent to which it is needed in the future.

Last week may eventually come to be seen as a marker of a change in how the country thinks about fossil fuels. The gas industry, backed by the Coalition and some news media, launched a campaign of naked self-interest against government plans to limit the impact of skyrocketing gas prices that echoed successful campaigns against carbon pricing and an increased mining tax a decade ago.