The Federal Government has awarded at least three gas contracts to a political donor and Liberal-linked company. 

Resources minister Keith Pitt recently announced that Imperial Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of Empire Energy, will receive $21 million in grants through the $50 million Beetaloo Cooperative Drilling Program, which is part of the Coalition’s “gas-led recovery” plan.

But conservationists have questioned the funding, saying that Empire is linked to the Liberal party and has made significant donations to both sides of Northern Territory politics.

Empire is chaired by Paul Espie, who is current chair of the Liberal-aligned Menzies Research Centre. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Mr Espie.

The company has also been shown to have personally lobbied energy minister Angus Taylor about its fracking plans in Beetaloo and the Coalition’s grant program.

Mr Pitt has dismissed the questioning as “propaganda spread by ... activists”. 

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