Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor appears to struggle sharing cost of Coalition’s nuclear policy

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor appeared to repeatedly stumble over the cost of the Coalition’s flagship nuclear policy.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor has repeatedly refused to directly answer questions around the cost of the Coalition’s nuclear policy, in a confusing pre-budget interview on the Opposition’s flagship policies.

Appearing on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday, Mr Taylor was repeatedly questioned by host David Speers on the cost of the Coalition’s plan to build seven state-owned reactors by 2050, with the first two reactors set to come online by 2035.

Despite the Opposition releasing its costing policies conducted by Frontier Economics in December, which said the Coalition’s energy plan would cost $331bn, Mr Taylor repeatedly avoided giving a figure.

Instead he stuck to the Coalition’s attack lines, stating: “44 per cent less than the alternative (Labor’s plan)”.

“I’m just asking what it’s going to cost Australia to build nuclear power?” said Speers, for asked Mr Taylor for the costing details 14 times.

Sharing multiple variations of the same answer during the three-minute grilling, Mr Taylor responded with: “44 per cent less than the alternative,” before comparing the costings between the two policies.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor repeatedly declined to share the figure of the Coalition’s nuclear costing, despite the party releasing its costings in December. Picture: NewsWire/ Nikki Short

The Frontier modelling suggested the total cost of Labor’s policy, which includes its renewables rollout, transmission lines and gas would cost about $642bn to 2050, figures Labor has rejected.

The figures contradicts $122bn figure put forward by the Australian Energy Market Operator, which covers generation, storage and transmission infrastructure.

Sunday’s clash comes as Labor has confirmed it will extend the energy rebate by $150 to the end of 2025, at a $1.8bn cost to the economy.

While the Coalition has said it will “not get in the way” of households accessing the rebate, Mr Taylor likened it to “putting a band aid on a bullet wound”.

Instead the Opposition have flagged an energy grid which will be composed of 54 per cent renewables, 38 per cent nuclear, with the additional 8 per cent comprised of gas and battery storage.

In the short-term they will need to keep coal-fired plants open for longer, and fill the shortfall with gas.

Labor will extend the energy rebate by $150 to the end of 2025. Picture: NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

While Mr Taylor said a Coalition government would get “Australian gas working for Australians,” he didn’t confirm whether he would force companies to reduce overseas exports.

As it stands about 80 per cent of Australia’s liquefied natural gas is exports, with key markets including Japan, China and South Korea.

“What it means is you’ve got to get more gas going into the system to put downward pressure on prices,” he said.

Labor didn’t bother with that because they don’t like the gas industry … Well, supply dries up. and you see the investment moving overseas, and Australians don’t get access to the affordable energy they want to deserve.”

Originally published as Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor appears to struggle sharing cost of Coalition’s nuclear policy