DAVID KOCH: Joining me now Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor. Minister, thanks for joining us. How important will clean energy be for our economic recovery coming out of this pandemic?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, it's important because it's about technology not taxes, Kochie, and that's the focus of this plan. It's about reducing the cost of energy, reducing the cost of living, not raising it. It's about making sure that there's more jobs, not less; more investment, not less. And that's technology, not taxes, Kochie - that's the centrepiece of the way we're approaching emission reductions. It achieves emissions reductions without imposing the cost.

DAVID KOCH: Sure. Do you feel a bit hypocritical though? For years your Government and party has been anti-renewable energy, you've waged war against South Australia for years because of its use of renewable energy. And now you're doing a back flip.

ANGUS TAYLOR: No. This is about balance. I mean, the roadmap talks about the balance we need between existing and new technologies, the need to manage our existing coal and gas the right way - gas has enormous potential coming out of the crisis. So it's about balance, Kochie. Australian's understand it's about balance, they see balance in their energy use - that's what it's about - and critically it's about making sure we don't impose taxes because you don't tax your way out of a crisis.

DAVID KOCH: So, are you saying renewable energy will lead to cheaper energy costs for Australians?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, solar and wind are cheap ways of producing energy.

DAVID KOCH: They are.

ANGUS TAYLOR: But they don't work 24 hours a day - and so you've got to have a balance. I mean it's very simple. And that's why you need gas, you need pumped-hydro, over time you need hydrogen - it's the balance of technologies that bring down the cost of living, that create jobs, that creates investment that ensure we are a very strong manufacturing and agricultural nation as we always have been.

DAVID KOCH: Alright. Minister, thanks for joining us.

ANGUS TAYLOR: Thanks for having me, Kochie.

ENDS