Matt Canavan says Nationals are not 'mandating' new investment in coal

The resources minister, Matt Canavan, says Nationals are not in the business of “mandating that coal should be definitely invested in”, but are pushing to ensure it is not left out as part of the transition to the national energy guarantee.

The resources minister, Matt Canavan, says Australia needs
to be ‘flexible’ to end the dispute about climate and energy policy.

Canavan told the ABC on Sunday that everyone needed to be “flexible” if Australia was to end a decade-long partisan brawl about climate and energy policy, but he said the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission had provided the government with a roadmap for future investment in all energy technologies, including coal.

The resources minister was referring to a recommendation from the ACCC in a report released last week that the commonwealth consider underwriting new investment in “firm” generation technology, in instances where proposals struggle to get finance, in order to boost competition in the market.

Read Katharine Murphy’s story from The Guardian - “Matt Canavan says Nationals are not 'mandating' new investment in coal.”

("Flexible" means investing in coal, so let's be honest Minister, say what you mean. All fossil fuels should remain where they are, in the ground - Robert McLean)