Moral imperative to back coal: Barnaby Joyce

Mr Joyce, continuing his role of outspoken backbencher, said it was intolerable that people around Australia weren't able to afford their power bills after years of rising prices.

"That for me is the greatest moral problem of our time in Australia, that we have now created a nation with the dearest power prices in the world for which people are truly suffering," he told Sky News on Monday.

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"We've taken them back a century and a half to a time of candles because of our policies.

"We've got to recognise that and we've got the be able to break this zeitgeist down and if we say we're going to build a coal-fired power station, get out there and do it."

The government has a shortlist of a dozen power generation projects it is considering underwriting, including gas and hydro projects and a coal station upgrade.

It has also pledged a $10 million feasibility study into ways to meet the energy needs of heavy industry in north and central Queensland, including a coal-fired power plant at Collinsville.

After that study was announced. Mr Joyce tweeted that "we have got ourselves a coal fired power station for Qld".

On Monday he also urged the government to get on with its so-called big stick energy law to break up companies that misuse their market power.

The legislation giving these powers to the competition watchdog failed to pass parliament before the election.

"Now you said you're going to do it, get out there and do it," Mr Joyce said.

"There is no policy that Canberra can come forward with that will change the climate back but, by God, you can make people poorer, you can make them more miserable and you have no right to do that."

Energy Minister Angus Taylor holds onto that portfolio and adds emissions reduction to his responsibilities, rejoining the two policy areas.

Senior cabinet minister Mathias Cormann said this was simply common sense.

"There's policy alignment so it makes a lot of sense," he told Sky News.

Australian Associated Press