JOURNALIST:
[Inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
I spoke to him earlier today and I’ve spoken to him several times about this matter. He says AGL wants to get out of coal, but he has said that he is prepared to sell to a responsible party and that’s what we’re talking about.
I’m not interested particularly in who owns Liddell and it is only an option –
JOURNALIST:
Would you own Liddell?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well I think it’s better that the private sector owns generators like that but I want to say that the vitally important thing for me is to ensure that Australians have affordable and reliable energy, electricity in this case. Now Liddell going out in 2022 will leave, as AEMO has identified, a very big hole. About a gigawatt, about a thousand megawatts. So there are obviously other options but one option clearly, that I responsibly as Prime Minister have to explore, is keeping Liddell going. Those discussions have begun with the current owner of Liddell, AGL. What I’ve said to you is precisely what I’ve discussed with Andy Vesey and he’s said that he is prepared, he would be prepared to discuss selling to a responsible party who would be able to keep the power station going for a period. I’ve suggested at least five years because we need to make sure that we maintain affordable and reliable electricity. That’s my commitment. That’s the obligation I owe to all Australians.
Mr Vesey has obligations to his shareholders, my commitment is to all Australians - families, businesses big and small - to deliver affordable and reliable electricity.
Thank you very much.
[ENDS]