Australia’s right-wing push for nuclear power is really a ruse to promote the coal industry

Wren’s Week: Out with Medicare and in with nuclear power Independent Australia By John Wren | 27 July 2019 “………..In the last week or so, too, there has been an upswing in calls for nuclear power in Australia. Interestingly, the calls are being made by all the old die-hard coal freaks in the Liberal and National Parties. Barnaby Joyce was prominent, with a harebrained scheme to offer free electricity to people whose homes are within sight of the plant.

Nuclear power has also been discussed amongst all the “looney fringe” on Sky News (after dark). The Energy Minister Angus “Watergate” Taylor was put under extreme pressure during Question Time by the Labor Party. He was visibly flustered. Taylor is not a strong performer at the Despatch Box. It culminated with him “not ruling out” nuclear power.

What is interesting about the sudden interest in nuclear power from the coalists is that it is actually a ploy to burn more coal. In the incredibly unlikely scenario that a nuclear power plant is built in Australia, it will take at least ten years to be functional. From a climate change perspective, that’s far too long regardless. It’s another ten years of coal consumption.

While we argue and debate the pros and cons of nuclear power, we are also continuing to burn coal. It’s a ruse and Australians should not be sucked in by it. Nuclear power is not the answer to Australia’s emissions now. It may have been 20 years ago when it was first mooted, but that time is long gone. https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/wrens-week-out-with-medicare-and-in-with-nuclear-power,12941

July 27, 2019 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics

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