Antinuclear

Dutton at odds with Queensland LNP over nuclear plans

Federal Liberal leader joined the state’s election campaign on Friday as David Crisafulli reiterated his objection to nuclear sites at Tarong and Callide

Andrew Messenger, Fri 4 Oct 2024,  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/04/queensland-election-liberal-national-party-nuclear-plan-peter-dutton?fbclid=IwY2xjawFsifVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHatRzSolvCpDyme9yMGAFlBbI6wl6H_xHENLi2ILNvm4yPKbJbAux77dWQ_aem_EASDYfMnhAhutdbQArg8oA

The federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has dismissed the Queensland LNP’s rejection of his nuclear power plan as just a “difference of opinion” between friends as he joined the state’s election campaign on Friday.

At their first joint press conference since the controversial plan was announced, Queensland LNP leader David Crisafulli reiterated his defiance of Dutton’s plan for two nuclear plants in Queensland. Crisafulli said he would oppose them if elected at the 26 October poll.

It was their first joint appearance since June, when the federal leader announced plans for seven nuclear sites across Australia.

“Friends can have differences of opinion, that’s healthy,” Crisafulli said. Dutton agreed.

Dutton said he would have a “respectful” conversation with Crisafulli if he was elected.

“We can have that conversation,” Dutton said.

“The first step is to get David elected as premier. When the prime minister stops running scared, he’ll hold an election, and I intend to be prime minister after the next election, and we can have that conversation.

“In the end, we want the same thing, and that is cheaper electricity for Queenslanders.”

Crisafulli said he would not change his mind.

He has repeatedly ruled out repealing the state’s nuclear ban under any circumstances.

Dutton has previously suggested overriding state legislation.

“Commonwealth laws override state laws even to the level of the inconsistency. So support or opposition at a state level won’t stop us rolling out our new energy system,” he said in June.

Labor has repeatedly accused Crisafulli of secretly supporting the nuclear plan.

“He’ll have to roll over when it comes to nuclear power, because his entire state party, all of those state LNP MPs in the federal party, all of those state LNP senators in the federal Senate and all of his grassroots members, they want nuclear power, and he’ll have to roll over,” the deputy premier, Cameron Dick, said.

The LNP is widely tipped to win the election.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is yet to appear alongside the premier, Steven Miles, on the campaign trail.

The associate director of research at the ANU’s initiative on zero carbon energy for the Asia Pacific Institute, Emma Aisbett, said having major policy differences between federal and state governments raised investment risk.

“It means that investors in energy will face higher policy uncertainty, which is also known as political risk,” she said. “It has a particularly strong depressing effect on investment for long-lived assets, which have high upfront costs, and both nuclear and renewables, either PV or wind, really fit into that category.”

She said having a dispute between governments could bring back the “energy wars”.

“What that does is slow and delay the net zero transition, and we do not have decades more to waste, slowing and delaying the transition away from fossil based energy.”

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“He’ll have to roll over when it comes to nuclear power, because his entire state party, all of those state LNP MPs in the federal party, all of those state LNP senators in the federal Senate and all of his grassroots members, they want nuclear power, and he’ll have to roll over,” the deputy premier, Cameron Dick, said.

The LNP is widely tipped to win the election.

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is yet to appear alongside the premier, Steven Miles, on the campaign trail.

The associate director of research at the ANU’s initiative on zero carbon energy for the Asia Pacific Institute, Emma Aisbett, said having major policy differences between federal and state governments raised investment risk.

“It means that investors in energy will face higher policy uncertainty, which is also known as political risk,” she said.

“It has a particularly strong depressing effect on investment for long-lived assets, which have high upfront costs, and both nuclear and renewables, either PV or wind, really fit into that category.”

She said having a dispute between governments could bring back the “energy wars”.

“What that does is slow and delay the net zero transition, and we do not have decades more to waste, slowing and delaying the transition away from fossil based energy.”

October 6, 2024 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, Queensland