Taylor hid energy hikes

Former energy minister Angus Taylor was behind a decision to delay revealing projections of electricity price rises until after the May election, according to new revelations.

What we know:

• Taylor told media in October that he didn’t know about incoming price rise projections of between 11.3% to 12.6% and that he didn’t see the report proposing to increase the default market offer (The Guardian);
• Taylor told Sky News at the time that notice of price rises was in “a report from the Australian Energy Regulator” but said “it puts it out, not me, and I didn’t see it”;
• Answers to questions on notice from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet reveal that the industry department undertook a review of the default market offer “in late 2021 and early 2022 … on behalf of the former minister for industry, energy and emissions reduction [Taylor]”;
• That included a review of whether to push back the date on which the AER is required to release its final determination, which Taylor then decided to delay to days after the May election;
• The answers also reveal that then prime minister Scott Morrison was informed by treasurer Josh Frydenberg that he had given Taylor power to delay notification of the price rise;