ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Elon Musk and Mike Cannon-Brookes are reportedly in talks to replace one of the nation’s largest coal-fired power plants.
Which has Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor reaching for the firehose this morning, telling media in Canberra that there’s no way the tech billionaires would be able to match the kickbacks and donations that come from the coal industry.
“They might have a lot of cheddar, but they haven’t got coal cheddar,” said Taylor.
“Elon and Mike Cannon-Brookes can’t match coal industry on kickbacks and donations. They simply can’t. We’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars. This isn’t just some imaginary, hypothetical lot of super expensive flood water that doesn’t exist yet, it’s the real deal,”
“Look, I know we’re all for a free market under this Liberal Government but this is taking the piss. We need a pragmatic solution for the country and for Angus, which means gas and coal remain the only viable solution for the nation’s energy needs,”
“And that’s that. But, if they’re able to somehow get their kickbacks and donations up higher than coal, then we might pencil in a meeting. No promises.”
The Advocate reached out to Mike Cannon-Brookes for comment but was told by his PA that he camped out in his front garden last night and hasn’t come in for breakfast yet.
More to come.
