‘Death spiral’: Peter Dutton’s grim prediction for Anthony Albanese

As the PM distances himself from a controversial nuclear power ad, Peter Dutton has come out swinging with a bold prediction.

Anthony Albanese has distanced himself from a controversial ALP video linking nuclear power to cancer, heart attacks and strokes insisting he’s focused on “the economics of this issue” and the option doesn’t add up.

As Liberal leader Peter Dutton predicted the Albanese Government is in “a death spiral” after it released the social media scare campaign targeting his nuclear power plan, the Prime Minister declined to endorse the sentiments in the video.

“No. What I am focused on is the economics of this issue,” Mr Albanese said when asked to endorse the scare campaign.

“And the economics of this issue are that it does not make any sense whatsoever for Australia to say stop what is happening, stop the investment that is occurring in our energy grid and wait till the 2040s in order to develop from nothing a nuclear industry, it does not add up, it does not make sense and that is my focus.”

The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Amid a war of words over the Coalition’s plans to roll out nuclear power in Australia, the ALP is ramping up a political campaign over the potential risks.

The proposed reactors would be built by the Coalition in areas with existing coal-fired power stations, including the Hunter Valley and Lithgow in New South Wales, Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, Collie in Western Australia and Port Augusta in South Australia.

But it’s a video featuring former Victorian Greens candidate Margaret Beavis, an anti-war activist who says “there are definite increases in cancer, strokes and heart attacks with nuclear power” that’s sparking controversy.

“It’s very clear from research, looking at over 300,000 workers, that there are significantly increased rates of cancer, heart attacks and strokes among the workforce in the nuclear industries … working with radiation has no safe lower limit,’’ she says in the social media video.

It follows the ALP releasing memes of three-eyed fishes as part of a scare campaign on potential safety risks.

Mr Dutton said the social media offering was another sign the Labor Government was engaging in a big scare campaign.

“Look, there are all sorts of extreme views on the internet, and it just shows that this is a Government that’s in a death spiral at the moment – that’s the problem,’’ he said.

“The economy is in free fall, the government’s spending is out of control, and I just think we’re seeing a Government in its last days – and they’re becoming more and more desperate.

“I’m happy to challenge the Prime Minister to a debate on nuclear power whenever he wants, but he won’t take up that, because when you see images of the Prime Minister, you know that he’s, I think, scared at the moment.

“He’s scared of the fact that he doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Peter Dutton is a big advocate for nuclear power. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Mr Dutton said there was plenty of evidence overseas that nuclear power was a viable option.

“In relation to nuclear power, there are 32 countries who are using nuclear power – France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, etc., etc – there are 50 countries who are looking to sign up to nuclear power,’’ he said.

“Australia is the only country of the top 20 economies in the world that hasn’t signed up to or doesn’t intend to sign up to nuclear power. We are looking at the international experience in terms of safety, in terms of disposal, in terms of cost, in terms of what it means for the economy, and if you look at it on an intellectual basis and dispassionately, you understand that we need to have 24/7 power.”

Meanwhile, Nationals MP Keith Pitt is quitting politics, warning that the party under leader David Littleproud was becoming irrelevant to its regional-based constituency by supporting net zero emission targets.

He warned Nationals leader David Littleproud needed to “stand up and be strong” to ­survive.

“And to do that, you’ve got to separate from your brothers and sisters in the Liberal Party because they have, on occasions, different views to us,’’ he said.

Originally published as ‘Death spiral’: Peter Dutton’s grim prediction for Anthony Albanese