The Hon Angus Taylor MP Transcripts

NICOLE CHVASTEK: And the federal Minister for Energy is with us right now. Angus Taylor, a very good afternoon to you and thank you so much for staying on the line there. I know you've been waiting for some time.
ANGUS TAYLOR: Thanks for having me.
NICOLE CHVASTEK: We just heard Pat Conroy there talking about how there could be a NEG debated and perhaps even agreed on before Christmas if the Coalition debates it. Would the Coalition consider the NEG again?

DAVID SPEERS: Yes, as I said this is clever politics from Labor to adopt what is the government's National Energy Guarantee, got so many statements on the record from Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg arguing why this National Energy Guarantee, why it's the only way to get prices down, prices will go up if we don't have it and so on. Plenty of business groups all backed it as well.

WILL GOODINGS: We also have the federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor on the line and we're going to have a quick chat with him now - not so much about the unique set of circumstances that we're confronted with last night but the summer ahead that is facing South Australia. Minister, good morning and thanks for your time. Would you be able to bring our listeners up to speed with what your understanding is from AEMO as to how we are going to be able to sort of fireproof South Australia from major outages over the coming few months?

ALAN JONES: Angus Taylor is the Federal Minister for Energy and whatever else he might know or not know, it's generally conceded - this is not my pumping up Angus Taylor's tyres - it's generally conceded that this bloke has most probably forgotten more before he came into the parliament about energy policy and renewable energy than everybody in the parliament knows. And as I've said early today, he's just got to be laughing - you can't take this stuff serious. And Angus Taylor, good morning to you. Thank you for your time but I'm sorry I can't take this stuff seriously.

ANGUS TAYLOR: I'm delighted to be here at Tomago Aluminium Smelter, near Newcastle with Matt Howell, the CEO of Tomago Aluminium. This facility, this business, like so many around Australia, depends for its existence, for its success, for its competitiveness on affordable, reliable power. I've been hearing this morning about how crucial it is that we continue to see downward pressure on electricity prices that's necessary to keep businesses like this sustainable and employing so many people here in Australia.

JOURNALIST:...fire away with some questions and just ask you about, you know, ahead of the summer compared to last summer et cetera. Obviously, you put your demand response in place and that sort of thing, so are you all set to go? Are you feeling relaxed about the coming summer?

LAURA JAYES: Tomorrow, Labor leader Bill Shorten will unveil more details of energy policy going into the election, so there will be a sharper focus if that is at all possible. So, let's bring in the Energy Minister Angus Taylor. Angus Taylor, thank you for your time. If Labor does adopt the National Energy Guarantee framework, what will your position be? Can you credibly criticise it, given your Government was the architect of it?

JOURNALIST:...fire away with some questions and just ask you about, you know, ahead of the summer compared to last summer et cetera. Obviously, you put your demand response in place and that sort of thing, so are you all set to go? Are you feeling relaxed about the coming summer?

LAURA JAYES: Tomorrow, Labor leader Bill Shorten will unveil more details of energy policy going into the election, so there will be a sharper focus if that is at all possible. So, let's bring in the Energy Minister Angus Taylor. Angus Taylor, thank you for your time. If Labor does adopt the National Energy Guarantee framework, what will your position be? Can you credibly criticise it, given your Government was the architect of it?

TOM CONNELL: Well, as mentioned at the top of the hour, good news today for 150,00 customers with AGL. They have announced there will be automatic discounts, a so-called safety net for people on those standing offers- the higher default offers. Now, we'll be getting discounts up to $150 per household. That has come after a government threat to use this so-called big stick of divestment if savings weren't offered upfront and by 1 January. Joining me now is the Energy Minister Angus Taylor for more on this. Minister, thanks very much for your time.