The Australian Greens have said any plan by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to invest in nuclear power is ‘pure fantasy’, and a ‘dead cat’ distraction strategy to divert attention from Liberal and Labor’s joint backing of opening more coal and gas mines.
Dutton can’t win government this election and with no pathway to control of the Senate to repeal the federal nuclear ban, and state leaders – including the QLD Liberal leader – opposed to repealing state bans, the Greens say Dutton’s words are a deliberate distraction from his commitment to climate-destroying coal and gas.
Meanwhile Labor’s Future Made in Australia policy and Future Gas Strategy will mean a future for coal and gas past 2050.
Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:
“The battle lines for the next election are clear. Liberals are for nuclear, Labor is for more coal and gas and the Greens are for clean renewables.
“Peter Dutton can talk about nuclear power as much as he wants, but it’s not going to happen.
“If I wanted to tune in to a fantasy I’d watch The Lord of the Rings.
“Peter Dutton can’t win government and he can’t repeal the nuclear ban in the Senate. It’s a ‘dead cat’ strategy, a dangerous distraction from Liberal and Labor’s push to open up more coal and gas.
“Liberal and Labor can have a fake debate about building nuclear power stations in 30 years, but if they both keep opening more coal and gas mines in the meantime, the climate crisis will get worse and people will suffer.”