Energy chaos in Australia: closing the Liddell Power Station

The bully of the show, in this case the prime minister, was less sure. AGL had not "articulated what [the plan] is, so we don't know and, frankly, I don't think they do either." Naturally: having wished to close the plant and move off coal, the board was now being asked to revise, renege, and repudiate.

The Greens climate change spokesman Adam Bandt MP was unimpressed by the proceedings: Turnbull was simply delaying the sword of inevitability:

All the government has done has forced AGL to bring forward its planning for new renewables. AGL's board will discuss what they were going to discuss anyway.

Vesey's own comments suggest that. "Short term, new development will continue to favour renewables supported by gas peaking. Longer term, we see this trend continuing with large scale battery deployment enhancing the value of renewable technology."

Even after receiving a mock bruising from Turnbull, Vesey could still maintain the unflappable line on coal. "In this environment, we just don't see new development of coal as economically rational, even before factoring in a carbon cost."

Turnbull's handiwork had not extracted everything government members had wanted. Taking the truncheon to the energy companies has been fashionable of late down under, and the identifiable Vesey has certainly left his mark on members of the Coalition. "It appears," claimed an accusing Craig Kelly MP, "AGL speaks with forked tongue." Less forked, perhaps, than realistic.