Libs go nuclear at the beck and call of mining lobbyists

2019-12-13

The Greens have condemned the Liberals’ plan to introduce nuclear power at the behest of their big corporate mining donors, in the Coalition-majority led report of the House Standing Committee on Environment and Energy.

“This report should alarm all Australians. It has belled the cat on the Coalition’s open mind on nuclear power in Australia,” Said Senator for SA and Greens Spokesperson for Nuclear, Sarah Hanson-Young.

“At the behest of the nuclear and mining lobby, the Morrison Government endorsed report opens the door nuclear power stations and subsequent waste dumps here in Australia. 

“This is absurd at best and dangerous at worst.

“As NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean said earlier this week, Australia is best placed to take advantage of renewable energy, which is now the lowest cost form of new energy electricity generation.

 “It has been proven, time and again, that nuclear power is expensive, water intensive, deeply dangerous, with an unresolvable issue of dealing with toxic nuclear waste.

“Nuclear power has no benefit but a legacy of deadly waste on our children and their environment for thousands of years to come.

“Yet the Liberals are clearly doing the bidding of their mines and minerals lobbyist masters by even entertaining the notion of further nuclear power.

“We know the future is in renewable energy. The Greens and South Australia are leading the way by diversifying our sources across wind, solar and storage.

“It is incumbent upon the sensible centre of the Liberal Party to quash this notion, once and for all.”