Miranda Devine Live: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull slams Tony Abbott’s Liddell coal power station plan

THE Prime Minister has slammed Tony Abbott’s proposal to nationalise the Liddell coal power station saying it goes against Liberal values.

THE Prime Minister has slammed Tony Abbott’s proposal to nationalise the Liddell coal power station saying it goes against Liberal values.

Speaking on Miranda Live, Malcolm Turnbull rubbished suggestions the government should forcibly acquire the NSW-based coal-fired power station.

Tony Abbott has called on the government to nationalise the NSW-based coal-fired power station because electricity is an essential service.

In response Mr Turnbull said “This talk about strongarming and nationalising assets, that is not the way we operate. Nationalising assets is what the Liberal party was founded to stop governments from doing”.

PM Malcolm Turnbull Live on Miranda Devine’s show. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

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AGL doesn’t want to sell the power station, which it expects to close in 2022.

Mr Turnbull wants it stay open until 2025, when Snowy Hydro 2.0 is online, to ensure there is no gap in power availability.

Mr Turnbull also said he did not believe the government should build a new coal-fired power station

“There’s no need for the government to do that. You want the private sector to do that. I’m leader of the Liberal Party. You remember the Liberal Party, that’s the one that believes in free enterprise. It’s the Labor Party that wants to nationalise things and have the government do everything,” he said.

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“Nationalising assets is what the Liberal party was founded to stop governments from doing”, Mr Turnbull said. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

It came as Mr Turnbull defended his performance after losing his 30th consecutive Newspoll, a mark he now regrets using to topple Mr Abbott.

A defiant Mr Turnbull said the government had delivered 17 months of consecutive jobs growth, along with the largest number of jobs created in any 12-month period in Australian history.

Mr Turnbull arrives at the News Corp headquarters in Surry Hills on Monday. Picture: Hollie Adams

He denied his own leadership was now at risk saying: “I have the confidence of the party room and nobody is suggesting I don’t”

“I said we would deliver jobs and growth and we have delivered record jobs growth,” he told Devine.

“If you had an election held in the next few weeks, why would the Newspoll be a better predictor than it was in Bennelong or in South Australia?”

He also said he continued to “stand by” his reasons for dumping Abbott, although he said he regretted referring to the Newspoll.

“We needed new economic leadership and we needed to return to traditional cabinet government, and I have delivered both,” he told Devine.

“I stand by everything I said back in 2015 and we’ll let the historians debate the history.”

The Prime Minister also revealed on the show what Cooper Cronk said to him inside the Sydney Rooster’s dressing room.

The pair was pictured having an animated discussion after the Rooster’s impressive win against the Cronulla Sharks.

“He was giving me some advice about tax I think. He was all in favour of lower taxes,” Mr Turnbull said laughing.

Originally published as Miranda Devine Live: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull slams Tony Abbott’s Liddell coal power station plan