Sussan Ley’s suggestion that Labor pressure forced the cancellation of her planned tour of the embattled Tomago aluminium smelter on Friday is being flatly denied by the government.

Ley visited the site near Newcastle that is at risk of closure because of high energy prices and met with the CEO, but an announced tour of the facility, which media were alerted to on Thursday night, did not take place.

In a statement, a spokesman for Ley said: “It’s a worrying sign when businesses are too nervous to have an open conversation about policy for fear of political consequences.”

The spokesman would not elaborate on the reference to political pressure. Industry Minister Tim Ayres told this masthead no one from the government had pressured Tomago over the opposition leader’s visit. “We have no is

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