If gas (GTL,CNG) is our best option for keeping essential transport going perhaps foreign customers should get second priority. As they say charity begins at home.

Telling the Chinese, Americans, Japanese and South Koreans that we won't be supplying them with gas may not be as simple as just saying "sorry - we need it"...

The Chinese would probably say, "You and whose Army???!" ;-)

Meanwhile, Japan has been eyeing off our fixed-price long-term LNG contract with China, and they'd like one too!

Japan Relationship is Fine - Rudd

"...Mr Rudd plans to resume talks on a free trade agreement, and the Japanese want a guaranteed supply of liquefied natural gas to underpin any such agreement...."