“YOU’RE BULLSHITTING EVERYBODY”- CHRIS MINNS SLAMS FEDERAL COALITION’S ENERGY STANCE AS ‘THE CANDLES STRATEGY’
News Report posted Friday 14 November / Transcript of Interview follows this News article
BOMADERRY, NSW
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has fiercely criticised the Federal Coalition’s newly redefined energy position, which appears to abandon legislated net-zero targets and prioritise extending the life of fossil fuel plants.
The Premier warned that the Opposition’s failure to back a clear renewables plan was a dangerous gamble with the state’s power supply, labelling it the “Candles Strategy.”
Speaking at a media conference on Friday, Premier Minns expressed frustration over the loss of bipartisan consensus on energy policy, a shift that comes as three of New South Wales’ four coal-fired power stations are scheduled to close by 2033.
“The truth of the matter is, three of our four coal fired power stations will close down by 2033. They’re going. They’re at the end of their life, and they’re designed to close,” Mr Minns said. He noted that while the life of the Eraring power station might be extended by a year or 18 months—a deal the state government made to ensure supply reliability—it will not last for a decade.
“You’re Bullshitting Everybody”
Shadow Minister for Energy Dan Tehan, Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley and Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Jonathon Duniam at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, November 13, 2025. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
The Premier’s central criticism was directed at the lack of a clear substitute energy source in the Federal Coalition’s emerging policy, which Opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan has indicated may involve subsidies for coal plants and a focus on nuclear power.
“If that’s dead, and you don’t support that anymore, you have to say what comes in its place. What’s your substitute energy?” the Premier challenged.
He said the idea that the state could “just do nothing and stand still” was a fantasy: “I promise you, that’s the Candles Strategy. That is, everybody just buys candles, and every time the lights go out, you put a candle on.”
Mr Minns argued that this reliance on fading generation would cripple the state’s economy. “Industry can’t, and manufacturing, in particular, cannot. So, if you’re… not for renewables, what are you for? You have to explain where and how you’re going to produce energy in a big industrial state like New South Wales, otherwise you just, well, frankly, you’re bullshitting everybody.”
NSW Pushing Ahead Despite Unhappiness
The Premier confirmed that his Government would not be deterred by the federal uncertainty and remains committed to pressing ahead with the state’s massive renewable energy rollout, despite acknowledging it has led to “some communities to be unhappy with us.”
Mr Minns stated that given the impending closure dates of major power stations, the only viable solution is to proceed with renewables and gas projects “as fast as possible.”
He went on to suggest that the NSW State Coalition is currently paralysed, waiting for its federal counterparts to settle their internal divisions.
“It seems like the New South Wales Coalition is just waiting for the Federal Coalition to make a call. And the National Party are out,” he said. “It seems to me that the New South Wales Coalition are both for and against net zero. They’re both for and against renewable energy. And that is a dysfunctionality that they’re going to have to try and explain as we get closer to polling day.”
A transcript can be found below, and audio can be found here (question starts around 13:13 on audio): https://drive.google.com/file/
TRANSCRIPT – BOMADERRY – MEDIA CONFERENCE – FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2025
REPORTER: Can I get your reaction to the Federal Liberals reaction on net zero and this morning Dan Tehan was saying that NSW is going to extend the life of its ageing coal-fired generation, further discussions about Eraring, and that you’ll pay for it with a modest and targeted underwriting from the [inaudible] government. [Inaudible]?
PREMIER MINNS: Yeah, look, it’s a big shame. It really is. I mean, we’ve effectively had bipartisan, multi partisan support for the changes in our energy and electricity, and that’s gone now. That’ll put enormous pressure on the future. I mean, I’m probably the last person the Liberal Party would listen to, or maybe the second last after Anthony, but I’ve got to say it, it’s a genuine head scratcher. I’ve often thought that some of the – you’ll indulge me a little bit here – I’ve often thought that some of the opponents of net zero have tried to paint the energy transformation as a nice to have; not a must have. In other words, ‘ah look, these lefties, they’re ideologues, they want to close down coal fire, they want to start renewable energy, and everyone’s bills are going to go up’. The truth of the matter is, three of our four coal fired power stations will close down by 2033. They’re going. They’re at the end of their life, and they’re designed to close. Maybe Eraring extends by 12 months, maybe it extends by 18 months, it ain’t extending by 10 years, so you got to replace it with something. And the plan so far has been a bit of gas and a lot of renewables, so that we can keep power bills as low as possible and keep people in jobs.
If that’s dead, and you don’t support that anymore, you have to say what comes in its place. What’s your substitute energy? Because this idea that you can just do nothing and stand still, I promise you, that’s the Candles Strategy. That is, everybody just buys candles, and every time the lights go out, you put a candle on. Now that’s – maybe you can get through winter and summer like that. I wouldn’t like to. Industry can’t, and manufacturing, in particular, cannot. So, if you’re, if you’re – in a sense, I want to put net zero and climate change to one side.
If you’re not for renewables, what are you for? You have to explain where and how you’re going to produce energy in a big industrial state like New South Wales, otherwise you just, well, frankly, you’re bullshitting everybody.
REPORTER: Does it impact the future of renewable energy projects in New South Wales? Does it impact [inaudible] certainty in New South Wales?
PREMIER MINNS: It doesn’t under us. We’ve been really clear we’ve got to press ahead. We’ve stretched we’ve stretched our – you know, I think that’s caused some communities to be unhappy with us, but I don’t have a choice. I’ve looked at the numbers. I’ve looked at the big power stations that are closing down in the years ahead. The only way to make this jigsaw puzzle work is to get moving with renewables and get them done as fast as possible, with gas. And that’s why I’ve been, you know, again, controversial on Narrabri, I guess, but I just think we’ve got to call it straight. And the truth of the matter is, if, if you wait – we can’t afford to wait a day or a week; we’ve got to get going now.
But can I just say, that’s under us. Under the coalition? I have no idea. It reminds me a little bit of 1963 and the Labor Party was heavily criticised for the faceless men. You had Arthur Calwell and Gough Whitlam waiting outside a room for the executive to make a decision about what Labor’s policy was. And maybe I’m stretching the metaphor too far, but the truth is, it seems like the New South Wales Coalition is just waiting for the Federal Coalition to make a call. And the National Party are out. So, the situation as it currently stands is we’ll go to the next election, you know what our view is, we’re calling it straight, we’re getting on with the job. It seems to me that the New South Wales Coalition are both for and against net zero. They’re both for and against renewable energy. And that is a dysfunctionality that they’re going to have to try and explain as we get closer to polling day.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nt4Z8VvHu64jQLcilhFqIM7mOYfzqtXt/view?usp=drive_link
