And the reason for high taxes is said to be to compensate for the commercial disbalance. So high taxes wouldn't be needed if gas could be produced locally.
Actually I think that's just the other side of the coin. While most of Europe has recognized that the public is better off levying heavy taxes to discourage expensive imports, Norway levies heavy taxes to allow for greater quantity of expensive exports. The net effect on society in both cases is positive.
Why is cheap gas a good thing? Cars are far less safe than the alternatives, and also generally speaking result in less exercise. So on two different fronts, you have overall more death and injury resulting to society from cheap gas, while more expensive gas pushes people on to safer transit like trains, and encourages people to walk improving overall health. Minimizing time people spend driving in cars is a good thing.
