Antinuclear

Northern Territory Minister convinced by nuclear lobby

We can’t rely on emotions,” Mr Vatskalis said.

Vatskalis breaks ranks to back nuclear power,Northern Territory News,  NIGEL ADLAMJuly 23rd, 2010 TERRITORY Resources Minister Kon Vatskalis yesterday seemed to break ranks with the Labor Party and back an Australian nuclear power industry. He said at a mining conference in Perth that support for nuclear electricity-generating plants could grow when people had the “full facts and figures”.

Mr Vatskalis, who is on the right-wing of the ALP, later told the Northern Territory News: “I support the mining industry, including the mining of uranium, which is shipped overseas and used for nuclear energy.”

He said it should be up to public opinion – not politicians – to decide whether the country developed a nuclear power industry.

We can’t rely on emotions,” Mr Vatskalis said. “The political party says what they want, but change will come.”My party says it doesn’t want nuclear power here. But a few years ago they didn’t want more than three uranium mines

Mr Borshoff – “It’s inevitable there will be some sort of tax or levy on coal – and nuclear will slot into that space perfectly.”

Mr Borshoff’s comments came after fellow business leaders called for nuclear power to be included as a long-term option in the energy white paper promised by Federal Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson.

Vatskalis breaks ranks to back nuclear power | Northern Territory News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia | ntnews.com.au

July 23, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Northern Territory, politics, uranium | antinuclear, Australia, nuclear costs, uranium