Energy Minister Angus Taylor under pressure over family company

Angus Taylor is under pressure about a declaration that he has “no association” with a family-owned company.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor is under pressure about a declaration made in parliament that he has no association with and ­“remained at arm’s length at all times” from a company owned by his family, despite ownership documents showing he is a shareholder of the group.

Labor and the Greens have ­demanded answers about his meetings with the department of former environment minister Josh Frydenberg over alleged illegal landclearing on the NSW property partly owned by his family through a company called Jam Land.

Mr Taylor met Mr Frydenberg’s department in 2017 about critically endangered grasslands in the southeastern highlands at the centre of an investigation involving companies partly owned by Mr Taylor.

The meetings were held while investigations were under way into the alleged poisoning of 30ha of grassland on a NSW property owned by Jam Land. One of Jam Land’s directors is Mr Taylor’s brother Richard Taylor, and the minister’s family investment company, Gufee, is a shareholder in Jam Land.

Documents held with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission show Mr Taylor is a current shareholder of Gufee.

During question time yesterday, Mr Taylor said he had been very clear about the matter.

“I have no association and I have remained (at) arm’s length at all times from the company Jam Land,” Mr Taylor said.

“In 2017, I received a briefing from departmental officials on technical aspects of a revised listing under the EPBC (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation) Act and I make ­absolutely no apology for seeking and receiving a briefing on policies that seriously impact farmers in my electorate.”

In a brief statement to parliament, government Senate leader Mathias Cormann said Mr Taylor had disclosed his interests in line with the statement of ministerial standards. “Minister Taylor has repeatedly made clear he has made no representation in relation to his family company to any federal or state ministers, or to any federal or state departmental officials,” he said.

The Greens are pushing for Mr Taylor and Mr Frydenberg to be included in a ministerial standards inquiry involving former ministers Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop.