Pop producers Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman will reunite for a UK documentary featuring interviews with Kylie Minogue, Rick Astley, Jason Donovan and Simon Cowell.

The trio penned many of the enduring hits of the 1980s and 1990s, and helped launch the careers of some of music's biggest stars.

The three-part documentary titled Stock Aitken Waterman: Step Back In Time reunites the record producers who dominated the music scene and tells the story of success but also of "fractured relationships and court cases", Britain's Channel 5 said.

The broadcaster said it would include rare and unseen footage telling the inside story about how a handshake outside a London pub brought the talented trio together.

Stock Aitken Waterman penned songs for Minogue, Astley, Bananarama, Dead Or Alive and Donna Summer among others.

Waterman, who was a record promoter and producer at the time, said: "If we had to do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing."

Meanwhile, Stock, who was a songwriter, musician and producer, said: "Only looking back do I realise what a great time it was."

Aitken, who also was a songwriter, musician and producer, added: "Like us, hate us, but you'll never change us."

Greg Barnett, commissioning editor for Channel 5, said Stock Aitken Waterman created the soundtrack to the 80s and 90s.

"Without their expertise and talent, the world would not have enjoyed the huge success of artistes such as Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Rick Astley, Bananarama and so many more amazing performers," he said.

Lesley Douglas, founder of production company Lonesome Pine, said they set out to bring the music to a new audience along with rekindling memories for original fans.

"This series puts Mike, Matt and Pete in their rightful place in the pop music pantheon and thanks to Channel 5 for allowing us the time and space to deliver what we hope is the definitive SAW!"

© PAA 2022

The Greens are locked in a war of words with the federal government on whether proposed energy market intervention will compensate coal and gas companies.

Greens leader Adam Bandt says his party won't support the price caps designed to address soaring power prices, insisting asking taxpayers to compensate producers for any losses would be unfair.

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says there is "nothing" in the legislation that compensates producers, with gas prices simply temporarily capped at $12 a gigajoule for 12 months and coal at $125 a tonne.

Federal parliament will return on Thursday in order for the government to pass its plan to lower rising energy costs for households and small businesses, and with the coalition opposing the move, Labor will need Greens backing to get it through the Senate.

Mr Bandt said his party would engage constructively with the government.

"We've been saying for some time this is urgent ... we're doing that in good faith and that's a different approach to what the opposition is taking where they're just saying 'no' to everything," he told ABC Radio.

"This question of whether the public at a moment where people are doing it tough, why should the public be asked to put its hand in its pocket to give money to coal corporations who have been making record profits, including off the back of a dictator's invasion of the Ukraine?"

The Greens have also argued power bill relief should be higher than the $230 per bill treasury analysis suggests.

The PM said it struck the right balance and remained positive the bill would get through parliament to provide the pre-Christmas relief.

"Why can't it be $1000 or $2000? ... Why not $5000?" he told ABC Radio.

"We've come up with measures which are responsible, that won't have a negative impact on investment.

"We've consulted about these measures for a long period of time ... we've negotiated with states and territories to achieve an outcome in the interests of the nation."

The relief measures aren't expected to come into effect until the second quarter of 2023, with state and territory governments paying out the funds to customers.

Oil and gas exploration stakeholders have also requested an urgent meeting with the PM over the proposal, saying the intervention could reduce gas supply, pushing up prices for households and businesses.

The Australian Petroleum Production And Exploration Association said a draft of the legislation showed the government's intended intervention into the market was so extensive they controlled it in an "essentially unlimited way".

"A price cap combined with the emergence of other damaging measures will ultimately push up prices because they will undermine investment confidence and reduce new supply," chief executive Samantha McCulloch said.

The coalition has also criticised the energy plan, saying there is little detail on how it will work.

"It is a monster in the making because it not only will fail in the short term but it will have a disastrous effect on the industry over the longer term because it kills supply," energy spokesman Ted O'Brien said.

© AAP 2022

Plans to compensate coal and gas companies following price caps could be derailed, with the Greens indicating they will vote down the proposal, as key stakeholders say the plan could push power prices higher.

Federal parliament will return on Thursday in order for the government to pass its plan to lower rising energy costs for households and small businesses.

Gas will be temporarily capped at $12 a gigajoule for 12 months, while coal will be capped at $125 a tonne.

However, Greens leader Adam Bandt said the party would oppose plans for the government to compensate gas and coal companies for the temporary caps.

Mr Bandt said the party would meet on Tuesday to decide its final position on the legislation.

"The greedy coal and gas corporations should be compensating people, not the other way around," he said.

"People need more support than the government is offering. Without a plan to get people off gas, the price pain will start up again as soon as Labor's temporary cap ends and we'll be back here in 12 months' time."

The government has also announced plans for $1.5 billion to be provided for energy bill relief for eligible households and small businesses.

The relief measures aren't expected to come into effect until the second quarter of 2023, with state and territory governments paying out the funds to customers.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen said while gas companies had been critical of the plan for caps on prices, the measures would protect households and businesses from large increases.

"This is Australian gas on Australian soil and Australians should pay a fair price but they shouldn't be paying a wartime price," he said.

"There were businesses and industries saying very clearly that they would have a lot of difficulty surviving next year, in the face of gas prices, electricity prices being what they were."

Oil and gas exploration stakeholders have also requested an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese over the proposal, saying the intervention could reduce gas supply, pushing up prices for households and businesses.

The Australian Petroleum Production And Exploration Association said a draft of the legislation showed the government's intended intervention into the market was more extensive than previously revealed, and could damage investor confidence.

"The oil and gas industry welcomes relief from energy prices through the proposed energy rebates," APPEA Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said.

"But a price cap combined with the emergence of other damaging measures will ultimately push up prices because they will undermine investment confidence and reduce new supply.

"The powers provided through the bill are extraordinary, providing for the government to control the entirety of the market and intervene in an essentially unlimited way," she said.

The coalition has also criticised the energy plan, saying there was little detail on how it would work.

Opposition energy spokesman Ted O'Brien said the scheme would lead to a disaster in energy policy.

"It is a monster in the making because it not only will fail in the short term but it will have a disastrous effect on the industry over the longer term because it kills supply."

© AAP 2022

Steve Smith says David Warner's lifetime leadership ban is "fundamentally wrong", conceding the ongoing saga has been a distraction for the opener.

Warner's withdrawn bid to have his ban lifted at times turned the Adelaide Test into a sideshow, before Australia wrapped up a 419-run win over the West Indies on Sunday.

Warner has now given up any chance of one day returning to a captaincy position, after furiously taking back his application for the ban to be reviewed after an independent panel pushed for a public hearing.

Smith and Warner both copped one-year suspensions from playing following the 2018 ball-tampering saga, with Smith also handed an extra 12-month ban from any leadership position.

But Warner was dealt with in a harsher manner, banned from leading for life and with no chance of any appeal once it was accepted before a change in the code of conduct last month.

"From my point of view, banning for life from leadership is just fundamentally wrong," Smith said.

"David served his time like I did.

"For us, we know he's a leader around the group, and on and off the field he's doing a tremendous job.

"It's been a difficult one for him, it's been a difficult week. David has said he's done and dusted (with the appeal) and get on with it."

Smith's comments come after Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Todd Greenberg admitted players were annoyed about the drama lingering into the Test summer.

Asked if it had been a distraction for the team through the T20 World Cup and Frank Worrell Trophy, Smith said it was a bigger issue for the 36-year-old.

"It has been more of a distraction for Davey, no doubt, going through that himself," Smith said.

"He's got our full support. Hopefully he can have a really big series for us against South Africa with the bat."

Warner desperately needs runs against the Proteas.

He made scores of five, 48, 21 and 21 against the West Indies, routinely getting out to balls wide outside off stump.

His Test century drought now extends to January 2020 and spans 25 innings.

The left-hander has previously indicated he wants to tour both India and England next year before retiring from Test cricket, but knows he needs runs to keep the pressure off.

Smith said he could see there were still runs in Warner.

"For me it's in his body language the way he goes out there .He's really positive and just in a good frame of mind," Smith said.

"Particularly yesterday when he went out to bat he was in a good frame of mind, the way his feet were moving was really sharp.

"He's batting well, so no real concerns there."

© AAP 2022