Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Hansard source

Obviously, I am not going to respond to assertions about what is being put to government by individual companies. What I can say is that energy security has been the priority in the government's design of its assistance package for this sector for the reasons I have outlined. That is why the support is targeted at the most emissions-intensive generators. The government will also create an Energy Security Council to provide advice on systemic risk to energy security across the nation, which obviously would include Western Australia. The Energy Security Council will be able to advise the government on loans to generators for things, such as the refinancing of debt if market finance is not available on reasonable terms. Those sorts of assistance would be available, on advice of the council, to generators in Western Australia, as they will be in any other state.