NSW could invest in coalmines if companies can’t raise the cash, Dominic Perrottet told gathering

Exclusive: premier’s comments in November raise questions about how far Coalition would go to support fossil fuels if re-elected

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The New South Wales government was open to investing in coalmines if companies couldn’t raise adequate capital themselves, the premier, Dominic Perrottet, told a gathering on Sydney’s southern outskirts late last year.

The comments, contained in a recording provided to Guardian Australia, raise questions about how far the government would go to support fossil fuels if re-elected, according to Labor, the Greens and teal independent candidate Jacqui Scruby.

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