AGL’s Vesey urges Frydenberg to move beyond the blame game

AGL has called on the government and industry to work together to solve a substantial domestic gas supply shortfall, rejecting claims by Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg that it was to blame for higher prices caused by local supply being moved offshore.

Andy Vesey, AGL's chief executive, wants to
build an LNG import terminal in Victoria.

The Sydney-based AGL has been the subject of intense criticism by Mr Frydenberg over the past year over its decision to close the ageing Liddell power station in NSW and the $2 billion sale of a large quantity of gas to an export terminal in 2015.

AGL chief Andy Vesey, who has been the target of personal attacks by tabloid media outlets, told Fairfax Media solving the forecast domestic gas shortage in eastern Australia required collaboration and openness between key players.

“What happens in times of what people perceive as a resource crisis is there’s a lot of ‘who’s at fault’, but the problem is that you don’t solve it by that," Mr Vesey said.

Read the story by Cole Latimer from today’s Age - “AGL’s Vesey urges Frydenberg to move beyond the blame game.”