KIERAN GILBERT: Joining us on the program now the Energy Minister Angus Taylor. Minister, thanks so much for your time. I want to ask you about a roundtable you're going to be holding with the CEOs of the energy companies - we'll get to that in a moment - but let's start with the story that Laura just touched on, this agriculture visa, the Prime Minister to announce it today in Queensland. Why is it important, in your view?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, it's important because we have a shortage of people in our agricultural sectors in our regions. If you look at my electorate, for instance, Kieran, we have one of the lowest levels of unemployment in Australia - of any electorate in Australia - so, the shortages of labour, of people to do the work that you have to do - a lot of it seasonal work - is a really big issue in our rural areas, it's a big issue across Queensland, and it's one we've been grappling with for some time. These reforms are designed to address that issue.

LAURA JAYES: Angus Taylor, this is part of a Queensland blitz - how will you measure success - if Scott Morrison gets to the end of this week and he's been up in all those marginal seats in Queensland, how will you measure whether he's been successful or not? Because some of these seats are crucial. They're must-wins in the lead up to the next election.

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, Laura, success is measured by how well Queensland's doing, ultimately - that's what this is about. We do need to make sure that we have the people in place to be able to meet the seasonal needs of our agricultural sector up there. Look, I was up in South Eastern Queensland just last week and we need lower electricity prices in Queensland. Ultimately we'll be measured by outcomes, but, you know, the point here -

KIERAN GILBERT: You're also measured on performance, though, aren't you? And in terms of Scott Morrison, do you feel you've got a better person to prosecute the Government's case in Queensland than his predecessor, who critics suggested didn't resonate in Queensland?

ANGUS TAYLOR: What's really clear is we've got a good story to tell. And it's a real case based on the facts - I mean, one million jobs in our time in Government is a very, very serious contribution.

KIERAN GILBERT: But do you think Morrison's a more appealing proposition to Queensland?

ANGUS TAYLOR: I certainly think we've got a good story to tell right through Queensland, Kieran, and this is crucial. At the end of the day, the real challenge that regional Queensland has faced has been jobs, and Queensland more generally - there's no question about this. After the end of the mining boom, being able to get jobs, the job growth back going, we saw a lot of jobs lost there as the construction projects fell off, but we've seen a really good story up there. It is crucial for us to prosecute the case, but most importantly it's crucial for us to continue to drive that. If you look at the alternatives - whacking sectors like housing, which is a crucial sector in Queensland, with more taxes - it is simply going to take Queensland the wrong way.

LAURA JAYES: As you say, Angus Taylor, you'll be measured by outcomes and you are promising lower power prices. When will Queenslanders see them and by how much?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, last week the Queensland Competition Authority said that prices need to be lower in Queensland - they made it very clear, they made the case - and we want to see that. I'll be meeting with energy retailers this week and we'll be making clear to them what our expectations are. We want to see the loyalty tax gone - if you don't negotiate your electricity bill every year, you're being whacked with a steeper and steeper loyalty tax. We want to see that loyalty tax gone. We do want to see the savings that the Queensland Competition Authority have laid out, passed through to consumers. We have three very big companies that play a big role in our electricity sector - they have a responsibility. In Queensland itself, the Queensland Government is the biggest electricity company of the lot and they need to do the right thing by consumers, they need to pass through price savings to consumers in Queensland. This is an important issue and a real test for them.

KIERAN GILBERT: Do you recognise, though, that the retailers have been taking steps already in this regard? There's been progress already made.

ANGUS TAYLOR: Every retailer is different, Kieran, but we need to see this loyalty tax gone. Look, when you've seen a doubling of the premium you're paying, simply because you're too busy taking the kids to sport-

KIERAN GILBERT: Why didn't you give them credit though where credit's due-

ANGUS TAYLOR: So there's been some good progress - 1.6 million households have got a better deal over the last little while as we've created awareness around this issue. There's no doubt about that and that's good progress - no question about that - but we need to see more and that's the discussion we're having with the energy companies. It's also a discussion with the Queensland Government because as I say, they're the biggest energy company in Queensland. They need to do the right thing by electricity consumers in Queensland.

LAURA JAYES: But this wasn't one of the recommendations outside of the ACCC, so what does that say about the remaining recommendations that you're yet to implement? Will this just go to the bottom drawer and collect dust or are you going to slowly keep on making your way through those?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, now, Laura, it was a recommendation by the ACCC. It was a very clear recommendation by the ACCC. They said they wanted to see the loyalty tax gone. That standing offers - what's called standing offers, they're the prices you get if you don't have time to negotiate if you're too busty taking the kids to sport or getting to and from work - that loyalty tax needs to go. The ACCC was unambiguous on this and we are implementing that recommendation. There's other important recommendations - making sure we have enough supply in the market. In Queensland, the ACCC wanted to see three generating companies - not two - more competition between those companies. These are crucial issues for the Queensland Government but more broadly, a crucial issue for the big generator retailer companies across Australia.

KIERAN GILBERT: A big company that's raised concerns today - front of The Australian today - is Qantas, fears about industry wide bargaining returning by the unions if Labor wins the next election. Obviously, you welcome the fact that Qantas has made their concerns known, however, does the Government really want to be fighting the next election on workplace relations, particularly when you look at your own vulnerability when it comes to penalty rates?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, I tell you what we don't want, Kieran, we don't want to see that return to pattern bargaining, the sort of bargaining that I'm old enough to remember from the '70s that disrupted this country. I mean, disrupted so many of our sectors; disrupted the airline industry. I remember it well. Is that kind of disruption good for Australia? Absolutely not. Will Labor open the door to that kind of disruptive behaviour? Well, I think increasingly we're seeing signs that they will. This will be a higher-taxing Labor government that will embrace disruption to critical sectors, and that is something that we, as a government, of course will never stand for.

LAURA JAYES: Angus Taylor, Stuart Robert, he's the Assistant Treasurer, he has just come back into the ministry with Scott Morrison at the helm. Is someone asking questions of him as to whether he's got any more surprises?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, look, I read the report that you're referring to there. Stuart has dealt with those issues. I mean, he's doing what good MPs do, which is building our relationships with important countries, important trading partners. South America, in this case - I worked in my career on important relationships with South America in the mining and agriculture sectors, these are important things. As I say, Stuart's dealt with the issue.

KIERAN GILBERT: He says he's not benefiting financially from this arrangement.

ANGUS TAYLOR: I really can't see what all the noise is about here. There's are beat-up and Stuart's dealt with the issue.

LAURA JAYES: Okay. Well, perhaps he's being a bit of a liability to Scott Morrison though? Is he a bit of a drag on the vote? He's a Queenslander. He's a Gold Coast MP. He spent thousands of dollars on his internet bills that he's since paid back. This can't be helpful as you're trying to win crucial seats.

ANGUS TAYLOR: One thing I know about Stuart is he's an energetic, hardworking member of Parliament and always has been, and that makes him a great colleague. I'm absolutely confident he'll continue to be a great representative of the great state of Queensland.

KIERAN GILBERT: Angus Taylor, great to see you. Appreciate your time in our new studio here at Parliament House. We'll talk to you soon.

ANGUS TAYLOR: Thank you.