TOM CONNELL: Let's go to the Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister now, Angus Taylor, joining us from Adelaide. Minister, thanks very much for your time. So it's now a Labor pledge - could this be bipartisan, given Scott Morrison did tell Pacific Island nations he would look at a net zero 2050 target?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, we've committed to a long-term strategy and that's exactly what we're working through now, Tom. But what we're not going to do is commit to a target without costings, without a clear plan, without explaining to the Australian people what it means for them. I mean, Albanese needs to explain to Australian miners what it means for them. What does it mean for Australian farmers? Those in manufacturing, energy-intensive manufacturing - are their jobs going to be here? And these un-costed, unplanned targets that Labor took to the last election, were clearly rejected by the Australian people. Albanese's described this approach as a mistake, it's still a mistake, and yet is going down this path - no doubt, under pressure from some within his party room, within his caucus - but he needs to explain to the Australian people what this all really means.

TOM CONNELL: So, just to clarify your position in terms of that long-term goal, the 2050 goal - you're working on the technology roadmap, but that will result in a target, a number will be put on that before the next election on exactly what the Coalition Government will pledge to get to by 2050?

ANGUS TAYLOR: It'll result in a reduction in emissions and that's our focus. We have a very clear target for 2030. We have a very clear view that will drive emissions beyond 2030 using technologies like the technology I was talking about here today at Tonsley in Adelaide, focused on hydrogen, enormous potential to reduce emissions from fertiliser production, in gas reticulation, in heavy industry, in steel and other industries like that. They're the technologies that will allow us to reduce emissions without destroying jobs, without destroying industries, and ensuring that Australians have a strong economy.

TOM CONNELL:  Right.

ANGUS TAYLOR:  Now, Labor, on the other hand, set the targets, don't explain the costs, don't explain the impact on jobs. They did it at the last election, they've declared it was a mistake and they're doing it again.

TOM CONNELL: But just on your position, because we just heard from the Finance Minister, Mathias Cormann, saying there will be a target - very specific about that word - the long-term for 2050. So, you're doing the work now with this roadmap, I understand what you're saying there, you'll see what comes out of that. But ultimately, out of that, we will get a figure before the election, a number on it, a target for 2050?

ANGUS TAYLOR: What we've said is we'll have a long-term strategy, and we're not going to have any target that's un-costed, unfunded, unplanned, which will destroy or have the potential to destroy jobs. We're not going down that path, Tom, and this is what we're seeing Labor do.

TOM CONNELL: [Talks over] But you just said strategy at the start - just trying to clarify, so will you have a target for 2050 or just a strategy?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, we've made very clear that we're focused on a long-term strategy and the technology will be central to it and the focus will be on technology, not taxes. Not taxes.

TOM CONNELL: [Talks over] Not a target - but a strategy.

ANGUS TAYLOR: We have a target which is a 2030 target-

ANNELISE NIELSON: [Talks over] Does that mean Mathias Cormann was wrong then, this morning? Because he said, target - was Mathias Cormann wrong then?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, no. I'm telling you what our position is, and our position is that we are working towards a long-term strategy, a technology investment roadmap, we have a target for 2030, we'll meet and beat that target - we're going to meet and beat, overachieve on our 2020 target by 411 million tonnes. I mean, our focus is on actually delivering. To give you a sense of what we're achieving on this - now, when Labor left government, they forecast that this year, with a carbon tax, emissions were going to be a 100 million tonnes higher than they actually are. That's Labor's approach - set a target, tax people, not really know how it's all going to unfold but know that they're going to actually destroy jobs and destroy economic activity. We go the other way, we say we're going to deliver, we're going to have plans in place which we know we can achieve the outcome, where we know we can achieve the outcome without destroying jobs, without destroying regions and industries, but we meet and beat those commitments.

TOM CONNELL: I'll just ask you one more time, I really want to clarify this - so, Mathias Cormann was talking about a target, you seem to be emphasising a strategy. So before the next election-

ANGUS TAYLOR: We have a target-

TOM CONNELL: [Talks over] Will there be a number for 2050? Yeah, for 2050 though. There's no 2050 target.

ANGUS TAYLOR: We have a target, but what we're not going to commit to is some other target out a long way from now, which is unfunded, un-costed, and unplanned. That's what Labor's committing to today. They've done it before, they've declared it was a mistake, and they're doing it again.

TOM CONNELL: Just on jobs. I know the Government's saying we cannot lose jobs. Transition, obviously, does happen. I'll put one thing to you: automated cars are probably going to come into the economy in the next 10 years or so. We could see tens of thousands of jobs go for delivery drivers but presumably, we're not going to stop them coming into the market, are we?

ANGUS TAYLOR: The key thing here is to have a plan which you explain to the Australian people. That's the key thing. If you maintain a strong economy, you don't impose taxes, whether they’re implicit or explicit taxes, whatever form you want to put them in which is what Labor loves to do, if you avoid doing that, you know you can create jobs, you know you can maintain a strong economy, you know you can continue to see the strong economic growth and jobs growth that we've seen in recent years. That's our approach, Tom. We're just not going to go down the path of setting a target where you don't explain to the Australian people what the economic implications are for them.

TOM CONNELL: Okay. We do keep putting those questions to Labor, do be assured by that. I wanted to ask you finally about Kyoto carryover. Labor are also saying they won't use those credits. Just on the history of your decision on this though, why was there never a formal announcement and press conference when the Government decided it would adopt Kyoto carryover for Paris?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, let's go to the history, Tom - it's a good question to look at the history - Labor committed to Kyoto on the condition that they could use carryover credits. That was their position. Now, they've turned 180 degrees and they're saying they don't like carryover credits. Well, let me tell you what this is really about. This is about Australia overachieving on its 2020 targets in a way very few countries in the world can boast. Canada can't. New Zealand can't. Many other countries around the world have nothing like the over-achievement we do. That means less carbon dioxide has gone into the atmosphere because of the hard work of Australian industry, small businesses and households. Our view is they should be given credit for that. Now we also have a view that every year, we should work to meet and beat our targets.

TOM CONNELL: [Talks over] We understand that, I understand that policy-

ANGUS TAYLOR: [Talks over] That's exactly what we're doing.

TOM CONNELL: When we look at it - so the 26 per cent target was obviously a very publicly made announcement. That required 695 million tonnes of reduction. The carryover is going to be in the vicinity of about 350. So you're looking at roughly halving the commitment. I'm just wondering why there wasn't a press conference or a very obvious media release making that announcement clear at the time?

ANGUS TAYLOR: There's no lack of clarity about our position, Tom. If you're claiming there's some ambiguity in our position, there's none. I mean, we've made position very clear. Australians should be given credit-

TOM CONNELL: [Talks over] No, but just announcing it.

ANGUS TAYLOR: But we'll seek to meet and beat our targets. Now you can quibble about the best way to announce things, that's very much inside the beltway kind of discussion. There's no ambiguity about our position here, and it's a position that we're standing by.

TOM CONNELL: Alright. Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor.

ANNELISE NIELSEN: Just one before you go - we do want to ask about the AFP investigation into those doctored travel figures at the City of Sydney. You said you wouldn't comment on it because the AFP investigation was underway. That's over now. So, have you ever found out what happened in your office? This is surely something - we never figured out who changed it?

ANGUS TAYLOR: I've been very clear about that from the start. I stand by the statement I made. This issue was considered and closed by the New South Wales Police. It was considered and closed by the AFP. I stand by my statement. And we move on and focus on these crucial-

ANNELISE NIELSEN: [Interrupts] That satisfies you?

ANGUS TAYLOR: Well, you know, we've had two fine police forces look at this and consider it and close it. I'm focused now on this crucial issue of how we ensure Australians have affordable reliable energy, and at the same time we reduce emissions, do our bit globally. That's an important job, and it's one that I know Australians want us as a Government to focus on every day.

TOM CONNELL: I suspect that might be another thing we'll be talking about in the lead-up to this election after the announcement today. Angus Taylor, so we hope to talk to you again down the track. Thanks for your time today.

ANGUS TAYLOR: Thanks, Tom.

ENDS