Abbott’s Pollie Pedal ‘always in April’

Angus Taylor says it’d be cynical to imply Tony Abbott has timed his charity bike ride to undermine Malcolm Turnbull.

Tony Abbott and Kevin Andrews launching the 2015 Pollie Pedal. Picture: Gary Ramage

Law Enforcement Minister Angus Taylor says it would be “cynical” to imply that Tony Abbott has timed his Pollie Pedal charity bike ride through Victoria’s coal-rich Latrobe Valley to coincide with Malcolm Turnbull’s likely 30th Newspoll loss, and the event has always been held in April.

The former prime minister is a member of the Monash Forum, a group of Coalition MPs who are calling for a $4 billion taxpayer investment in reopening the Hazelwood coal-fired power station.

Mr Abbott’s annual charity bike ride is due to pass the site of the closed mine on Monday, just as the Prime Minister is likely to hit the same poll loss milestone he used as justification for ousting Mr Abbott in 2015.

Mr Taylor said he was not a member of the Monash Forum, but would be participating in the Pollie Pedal, as he has done for some years.

“No I’m not - but look, I always welcome open debate on tough issues, and energy policy is an area of policy I’ve been involved in for many decades, long before I came into politics, and it’s been a place for robust debate for a while, and it will be a place for robust debate for a long while,” Mr Taylor told Sky News.

“I tell you what, we are all focused on one thing, which is reliable, affordable energy and I welcome a good debate about how to make sure we get that.”

Asked whether he supported the idea of a “Hazelwood 2.0” coal-fired power plant, Mr Taylor said: “I learnt a long time ago in this industry, in this sector, that the key thing is to focus on the outcomes.

“Set the goals and allow smart people down at the local level, at the industry level to go about solving the problem, and the objective here, the goal here is more affordable, more reliable energy,” he said.

“What the NEG does for the first time, and it’s why I’m such a strong supporter of it, the national energy guarantee, is it sets that goal explicitly for the energy retailers, it says to them, you need to meet this goal.

“We want them focused on it, and I think the NEG gives us the framework to do exactly that.”

Asked whether the timing of the Pollie Pedal was a “happy coincidence”, Mr Taylor said he had participated in the week-long charity bike ride for many years and was a strong supporter of this year’s cause, veterans’ charity Soldier On.

“It’s not about politics. It’s a bipartisan event. Many members of the parliament will be involved and I’m really looking forward to having a great week on the bike for a fantastic cause at Soldier On which is looking after our veterans and all of those workers who have worked in emergency services, the federal police and so on, who have suffered some trauma through their career,” Mr Taylor said.

“We’ve held Pollie Pedal in this week in April now for a number of years.

“I’m going to be focused on Soldier On. That’s what I’m going to be focused on.”

Sky News host Laura Jayes asked Mr Taylor whether she was being cynical about the timing of the Pollie Pedal, or he was being naive.

“I think you’re being cynical, frankly, but I’m going to be focused on Soldier On,” he said.

“It’s a wonderful organisation, I’ll be riding with veterans and colleagues from the parliament and it’s a great week for a great cause.”

Angus Taylor. Picture: AAP

Focus on cheaper, more efficient energy: Steve Ciobo

Trade Minister Steve Ciobo said those speculating that the route and timing of the Pollie Pedal were aimed at undermining Mr Turnbull should “have a glass of water and calm down”.

“I think the media get very excited about all of these things,” Mr Ciobo told ABC radio.

“I think if he’s on a pushbike riding through the Latrobe Valley, he’s ‘doing it for a particular reason’. If he wasn’t, if he was sitting behind his desk there’d be counterclaims made for a different reason.

“I think everyone just needs to have a glass of water and calm down about these sorts of things.”

Mr Ciobo has previously stated that government subsidies for coal-fired power are “worth having a cold, hard look at”.

Yesterday Treasurer Scott Morrison slapped down the idea, warning that electricity from new “high-­efficiency, low-emissions” coal plants costs twice as much as power from generators built in the past.

Asked whether he agreed with Mr Morrison, Mr Ciobo said what ultimately mattered was the government having policies to deliver more reliable and cheaper energy.

“That’s what occupies my mind, it’s what occupies the mind of the Prime Minister and cabinet, and the government is focused on more reliable and cheaper energy to service the needs of Australians and Australian industry,” he said.

Pressed again on whether or not he agreed with the Monash Forum’s calls for coal-fired power stations, Mr Ciobo said what ultimately mattered was the market’s response.

“We need capital, and the market to operate in an efficient way,” he said.

“Now it may be that a HELE plant, a high efficiency, low emissions plant, produces energy at a more expensive cost per megawatt hour basis than different forms of energy, and if that’s the case then the market will indicate that, we’ll get advice to that effect, and I think to some extent that’s what the Treasurer was making reference to yesterday.

Asked whether he was still saying taxpayer-funded coal investment was “worth a cold, hard look”, Mr Ciobo said: “I don’t’ think it ever hurts for us to look at different ideas and assess different ideas, and effectively take them on their merits, that is make a cold, hard analysis of what is worthwhile and what is not worthwhile.”

“Now it may be that when you do a desktop due diligence exercise, for example, that this proves to be a non-starter,” he said.

“Well OK, if that’s the case, that’s the case. What matters though, as I said, and what I think Australians are looking for is strong national leadership that produces more reliable energy and cheaper energy, and the contrast frankly that they will have in the forthcoming election in 12 or 15 months’ time, will be a radically different approach in two forms of industry and energy policy, one from the Coalition and one from the Labor Party, and I think that Australians will have a very clear choice.”