Kylie Lang: Nuclear divisions a gift for Hanson
Pauline Hanson must be thrilled. The One Nation leader can expect to welcome more disgruntled conservatives into the fold as the divide within the LNP over nuclear power widens, writes Kylie Lang.
Kylie Lang
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Pauline Hanson must be thrilled.
The One Nation leader can expect to welcome more disgruntled conservatives into the fold as the divide within the LNP over nuclear power widens.
Not only is Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli staunchly at odds with his federal counterpart Peter Dutton over the latter’s plan for nuclear power plants, but the anger from some federal MPs towards Mr Crisafulli is damaging their own party’s chances of electoral victory come October.
Talk about going nuclear.
I’m not saying everyone has to toe the party line – we live in a democracy so debate is healthy, necessary even.
As Mr Crisafulli said this week: “We can have a difference of opinion, we can accept that.”
But shots like that fired on Thursday by Colin Boyce, federal member for Flynn, are not helpful.
He said Mr Crisafulli should “put his big girl pants on and face the energy issues”.
Such language might make for a snappy headline or titillating sound bite, but it is childish.
And offensive to big girl pants, which are by far the most comfortable underwear, but I digress.
Mr Boyce, whose electorate includes Callide, west of Gladstone, where a nuclear reactor would be built on the site of the existing coal-fired power station under Mr Dutton’s plan, is fuming.
He can’t understand why Mr Crisafulli isn’t falling into line and how a state LNP government would meet a 75 per cent emission reduction if it didn’t support nuclear or large pumped hydro projects.
Mr Boyce told Sky News “not one single country” relies totally on renewable energy … “these forms of energy production are reliant on the weather and when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow it doesn’t produce any electricity”.
“We’ve got to have nuclear power,” Mr Boyce said.
Other elected representatives disagree.
Former opposition leader Deb Frecklington, the Member for Nanango, is dead against Mr Dutton’s plan to convert the Tarong power station, which is in her electorate.
“I want to be really clear, this is not part of our plan for Queensland,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The LNP has been consistent from the start and our position has not changed, this is a matter for Canberra.” And in fact, it really is.
If Peter Dutton wins the next federal election and implements his plan for nuclear to be part of the power mix, then it won’t matter a jot what the states think because commonwealth law will prevail.
But right now, the perceived division within the LNP ranks is not pleasing conservatives in Queensland. Just as it seemed Mr Crisafulli was cruising to a win at the polls, ending Labor’s long reign, some in his camp are wanting to leave it.
A strong sentiment among Courier-Mail readers this week has been that One Nation is seeming a lot more attractive.
Ms Hanson came out this week in support of Mr Dutton’s plan, calling Mr Crisafulli a “left-leaning leftie”.
“Pauline Hanson is looking more inspiring every day,” one wrote.
Another said: “The state LNP just keep handing votes to One Nation. I wonder sometimes whether or not they really want to win the next election.”
And this: “Many voters will support the LNP because they’re desperate to get rid of Labor. But Crisafulli shouldn’t depend on it and should put in more of an effort to win the election rather than relying on Labor to lose it.”
In Mr Crisafulli’s defence, he has committed to tackling the immediate big issues on which Labor has dropped the ball with a resounding thud – youth crime, housing, public health and cost of living. Nuclear power is a distraction he does not need, with only a few months to go until we head to the polls.
But his apparent unwillingness to even entertain Mr Dutton’s plan is unlikely to do him any favours.
It is one thing for a leader to be seen to be firm, but another to come across as tin-eared. Look what happened to Annastacia Palaszczuk.
For my money, one of the more sensible responses this week came from Luke Howarth.
The Member for Petrie and opposition assistant treasury spokesman told The Australian: “For David Crisafulli, don’t tie yourselves up in knots over it. You can just say it’s not part of our plan, but if they lift (nuclear) bans in the future federally, then great, we’ll look at it again.”
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