Going nuclear: PM’s blessing sought for power inquiry

The Prime Minister’s support is being sought for a controversial new inquiry which is threatening to blow up.

QUEENSLAND MPs are going nuclear as they seek the Prime Minister’s blessing to conduct an major inquiry into using the controversial power source in Australia.

Senator James McGrath and Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt say its been more than a decade since the last time nuclear power was seriously on the agenda, and it was now time for an “adult conversation” about it.

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Backed by other Queensland Nationals-aligned MPs, the pair will this week write to the Prime Minister seeking his support for an in-depth, two-year Senate inquiry into a nuclear power industry in Australia.

Nuclear power plant are currently banned in Australia, but some government MPs want an inquiry to revisit this. Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP

Nuclear power plants are currently illegal in Australia, but Mr Pitt said it was time to revisit that.

“This is not a motion to approve a nuclear reactor in Ipswich,” Mr Pitt said.

“This is about having an adult conversation about utilising an energy source that’s in just about every other major economy.”

He said it was too soon to talk about where a power plant could go, but discussion was needed about the feasibility, given the last study was from nuclear physicist Ziggy Switkowski in 2006.

The new inquiry would canvass the latest developments in the technology, potential benefits to Australia, compare its life cycle and costs against traditional power sources, like coal, hydro and renewables, as well as how to deal with the radioactive waste by-products.

“When technology moves, we have to explore those possibilities,” Mr Pitt said.

“We’ll put in a formal request (to the Prime Minister). We want this to be successful.

Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt says its time for an adult conversation about nuclear power.

“We’re also working closely with our ministerial colleagues.”

Energy Minister Angus Taylor last week said the Government would be more than willing to consider nuclear power if there was a clear business case.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in April that nuclear power was not “not” on the agenda, before clarifying that it was not Liberal policy and there were no plans to change that.

“Wherever it’d be coming from, it’s fine but it’s got to be self-sustaining,” he said.

“I’m not going to roll out tens of billions of dollars in subsidies, that’s not the future for energy efficiency or energy.”