KIERAN GILBERT: Let's go to Goulburn, joining me the Energy Minister Angus Taylor. Minister, before we get on to the issue of emissions reduction in your portfolio, your reaction to the apparent contradictions out of Victoria as to what was offered and when by the Federal Government on ADF support - what do you make of those contradictions today?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, Kieran, without going into all the details, I think the broader point here is we've sought to provide state governments with all the support we can throughout. That's been an important part of the approach the Federal Government has taken. This is just another illustration of that. We have capabilities we can bring to bear, particularly through the ADF, but other agencies as well and through National Cabinet and other means, we've sought to provide every bit of support we possibly can.

KIERAN GILBERT: Jenny Mikakos resigned in Victoria. Would you expect there to be pressure on the Premier to do the same?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Look, that's a matter for the Premier. I'll leave that to him. What I would say is that it's just extraordinarily important right now that we're focused on the lives and livelihoods of Australians. That's what really counts during these difficult times. As you said earlier in terms of our support to state governments, this has been an important part of what we've done and we'll continue to do it.

KIERAN GILBERT: Let's look at the focus of your policy this last seven days or so. How much will the Tech Roadmap reduce emissions by 2030, which is our first goal within the international agreements?

ANGUS TAYLOR: There's significant additional reductions through to 2030, but the focus here is also beyond 2030 and that's important. Now we're already on track to meet and beat our targets. This will add to that, Kieran, and that's an important part of what we're doing. But the really crucial part of what we're doing here is setting us up for additional emission reductions beyond 2030. And the point about that, I would make, is that we're seeking to do it by bringing down emissions without causing economic damage. This is the key point. We can strengthen the economy, not weaken it, but the key to that is bringing down the cost of these technologies, whether it is green steel and aluminium, carbon capture and storage, soil carbon, storage technologies, hydrogen - all of those technologies offer enormous potential for Australia and the world. To put it in perspective, these five priority technologies make up or they will have significant impacts on emissions, they'll reduce emissions in sectors that make up something like 90 per cent of the world's emissions. So that gives you a sense of how significant this is. They're significant, not just for Australia, but because those technologies will also help to bring down emissions around the world.

KIERAN GILBERT: But can you give us a figure on how much it will reduce emissions by 2030? Because you've said again this morning, you and the Prime Minister say repeatedly, we'll meet and beat our 2030 targets. How much of that will be achieved by the Roadmap and the technologies that you're backing?

ANGUS TAYLOR: We've already said that we'll meet and beat. We were 16 million tonnes ahead before the Roadmap. The Roadmap will take us to additional, as will other initiatives. We'll put out the total update later this year. December is when we do the update. But the Roadmap will play an important role in that. But I would say, far more important for the Roadmap is emissions reduction beyond 2030. As I say, if you look at a technology like hydrogen, it can play an important role through to 2030 at the margin, but its real role, it will come into its own post-2030. If you look at critical industrial processes like fertiliser manufacturing, as well as energy production, plastics manufacturing, hydrogen is critical to that. It's that post 2030 focus that we really have.

KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah.

ANGUS TAYLOR: As I say, we'll give the updates on our 2030 progress post or later this year in December, as we always do each year.

KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah, the document that was released, as you say, importantly, by 2040, it suggests that 250 million tonnes of emissions will be avoided but that includes exports. Have you got a breakdown of what is domestic and how much of that would be from the impact of exports?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yeah, we'll release more details on those breakdowns over time, Kieran. The focus now is on making sure we've got those technologies in place. As you say, 250 million tonnes, the vast majority of which will be from Australian emissions reduction. But you know, the crucial point, as I say again here, is our focus is on technology not taxation. It's bringing down those emissions - 250 million tonnes through to 2040 and more beyond obviously, and doing it in a way, which is going to maintain a strong economy, which is going to maintain critical industries, like steel, aluminium, our manufacturing industries, agriculture, transport. That's absolutely essential to this and we're going to do it. Unlike the approach taken by Labor in the lead-up to the last election where they were prepared to slash jobs, they were prepared to slash incomes, they were prepared to slash industries and regions. We will not do that.

KIERAN GILBERT: Given the majority of that large amount, 250 million tonnes, would be domestic, you'd be well on the way towards a net zero emissions by 2050 anyway. So, why wouldn't you commit to that sort of target? Because you're talking - if that was the amount, you know, majority in Australia, you're talking 50, 60 per cent of our emissions already reduced by 2040 - you'd be well on the way to net zero by 2050. Why not just commit to that target?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well you know, Kieran, there's a lot of talk about this, but the focus is on getting the technologies to work and as Prime Minister said last weekend, the precondition to getting these emissions reductions is ensuring that these technologies are successful. That they come into parity with their higher emitting alternatives, that we don't see economic losses and economic damage in the community, in Australia. That's got to be the focus. Now, it is true that if we succeed in that and we aim to, and we will do everything - we are throwing the book at these technologies and others - then we will see dramatic emissions reductions and they won't just be by 2040, they'll be by 2050. But we've got to make the technologies work and the whole point of this is the focus has to be on making this work, actually delivering. That's what we've always done with emissions reductions. We're 100 million tonnes lower, 100 million tonnes, almost 20 per cent lower than Labor's forecast in their last year of government, in terms of our emissions now. And we've done that without a tax, without a carbon tax. And we've done that through deployment of sensible technologies, sensible practices, with strong jobs growth and with strong growth in critical industries, like agriculture and manufacturing.

KIERAN GILBERT: On the electric vehicle issue, The Herald reports today that businesses will be offered incentives to invest in new electric car fleets. That's going to be in the budget apparently. When will we see the national electric vehicle strategy come out from the Federal Government? Is that soon?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Yes. That'll be coming out in the near future. We actually made that announcement about the electric vehicles last week. But the important point about this, is that this is all about, Kieran, making sure that people can choose the vehicles they want. So, our focus in terms of adoption of new technology, is this is always a matter of choice for businesses and for households. And with electric vehicles, as people want electric vehicles, they should be able to buy them. We want them to. We're not going to throw massive subsidies at electric vehicles. But what we're going to do is make sure the infrastructure is there, so that when they adopt them, when they take them up, they'll be able to make good use of them. They'll have the infrastructure they need, just as we have now, with internal combustion engines. The early focus will be on fleets. That's where the big opportunity is. We've seen that and we're seeing that around the world and that's certainly the focus - not the only focus - but an important focus of this $70 odd million that we've announced. But as I say, right at the centre of this is customer choice, not imposing taxes, not imposing additional costs on consumers and businesses and making sure people can use the emerging technologies, as they see fit for their own benefit.

KIERAN GILBERT: China committed to carbon neutrality by 2060. What are the implications of that? Do you also believe that commitment? Will they honour that?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, that's a matter for the Chinese. I mean, I'm not going to speculate on that. What I do know is the technologies we're talking about, whether it's low emissions steel, aluminium, hydrogen, storage technologies, agricultural technologies, they are also absolutely central to China being able to bring down their emissions. We want to collaborate with countries right across the world, in terms of bringing these technologies to fruition, and making sure that they are given every chance of success. China needs them every bit as much as we do. We're extremely well-positioned to play a world leadership role in these five areas that I've described and we will and will work with countries like China and others to make sure-

KIERAN GILBERT: Is that a welcome commitment from them?

ANGUS TAYLOR: We already have formal agreements with Germany, with Korea, with Japan on hydrogen, for instance. We can expand that and extend that over time. And this is a global problem and it needs a global solution.

KIERAN GILBERT: Yeah.

ANGUS TAYLOR: We're 1.3 per cent of emissions of course and we do need those global outcomes and that global collaboration.

KIERAN GILBERT: Is that a welcome commitment from China, in your view?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, it's a welcome commitment to the technologies that I'm talking about. I mean, that's what we need. China- all developing countries, actually most countries around the world, take a very similar approach when it comes to the crunch to what we're describing here. Which is one where you say: ‘look, we're not going to damage the economy, we're not going to destroy jobs'. I mean, at a time like this with coronavirus, there's no time more important than to ensure that we're not imposing new costs on consumers and businesses and that we're ensuring that we bring down emissions by bringing those lower emitting technologies, to parity with their higher emitting alternatives. And you know, China knows that. The UK knows that. Many countries around the world see it this way and we'll look forward to working with them and others to ensure we deliver those outcomes.

KIERAN GILBERT: One other issue before we go quickly. The Auditor-General last week revealed a $30 million windfall for the Perich family in Sydney. A 12.26-hectare parcel of land. It was only valued later at $3 million. You were the Cities Minister at the time, were you involved in the valuation process of that? How did the Government get it so wrong?

ANGUS TAYLOR: I wasn't the Cities Minister at the time. So, I make that very clear. But look, you know, I've seen the reports on the ANAO report, they made a number of recommendations. I understand the department, there's an investigation going on. They've accepted the recommendations of the report. They sounded sound to me. I have no more than that to offer you, Kieran. But, as always, the ANAO does the reports, they make their recommendations. It's important that departments consider those and implement those appropriately.

KIERAN GILBERT: Yes. I mean, you might not have been at the time, you had been Cities Minister. Was there any involvement there? Were you aware of this process.

ANGUS TAYLOR: No. No. The first I read of it was in the paper. But I'll make it very clear here - I was not Cities Minister at that time. And the first I read of it was in the paper.

KIERAN GILBERT: Okay. Minister, I appreciate your time. Thanks for that. Talk to you soon.

ANGUS TAYLOR: Thanks, Kieran.

ENDS