Warringah election, Katherine Deves: Call to look at nuclear power for future energy needs
Liberal election candidate Katherine Deves says nuclear power should be examined as a future energy source for Australia.
Manly
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“Affordable and reliable” nuclear power must be part of the question about replacing fossil fuels to provide energy in Australia, the Liberal candidate for Warringah told a federal election forum.
Katherine Deves said small modular nuclear reactors could be used to “fill the gap”.
And they could be up and running in the next couple of decades, she said.
Ms Deves told the candidates’ forum held at Dee Why RSL on Thursday night that Australia could be a “world leader in this space”.
The One Nation candidate Steven Tripp told the forum, organised by the Northern Beaches Climate Action Network and Voices of Warringah, that his party would support a move to nuclear power.
But the current independent MP for Warringah, Zali Steggall, who is pushing for more renewable energy sources including solar and wind power, said nuclear was too expensive and took too long to build.
The Greens’ candidate, Kristyn Glanville, warned that nuclear power’s radioactive waste products would last for “tens of thousands of years’”
When answering a question from the audience of 300 Warringah voters on the candidates’ views on nuclear power, Ms Deves said “nuclear has to be part of the debate”.
“If we are going to have affordable and reliable energy, moving away from fossil fuels, nuclear has to be part of the question.
“We have most of the uranium out of all of the developed nations. We could be a world leader in this space.
“There are small, modular reactors that will be up and running in the next couple of decades. That will be able to fill the gap.”
Ms Deves said nuclear power was emissions- and carbon-free.
“It is going to be affordable and reliable.
“If we are going to be relying on 100 per cent renewables, what are we going to do with all these solar panels that are going to be imported from China.
“In 20 years’ time, where are we going to put them, in landfill?
Ms Steggall, who has introduced a Climate Change Bill into parliament, said there needed to be more investment in research into renewable energy.
She said nuclear was the only energy technology increasing in price while the cost of renewables was coming down.
“The difficulty is that nuclear is too long and too expensive.”
Ms Steggall said when she visited India, which has nuclear power, as part of a government delegation, she was advised that “it takes 18 years to get nuclear up and it takes 18 months to get large scale solar up, and that’s the difference.
“We need to move quickly and it will be with renewables, solar, wind and batteries for storage.”
Ms Glanville said nuclear power would come with “huge environmental costs” linked to the mining of uranium.
“People also forget about the huge waste problem created by nuclear energy.
“Some waste streams will be radioactive for tens of thousands of years. It will make future generations have to pay.
“It’s pie in the sky to say that we can rely on the future nuclear technologies that are untested.”
The voters at the forum listened to an opening three-mnute address from six of the seven candidates vying to win the seat at the May 21 election.
Along with Ms Deves, Ms Steggall, Ms Glanville and Mr Tripp were Andrew Robertson (United Australia Party) and Kate Paterson (Animal Justice Party).
Labor’s David Mickleburgh was absent due to illness.
Two senate candidates, Labor’s Shireen Morris and the Greens’ David Shoebridge, were also on the panel.
Ms Deves told the forum that in “my past advocacy” she had tried to be the voice of women and girls “but I’m now standing to be the voice of Warringah”.
She said many people in the audience had probably only heard about the media reporting on her historic social media comments on transgender issues and “what (the media) have decided to say.
“They have done that with a view to selling newspapers and not actually spoken about the person that I am.
“I’ve issued two apologies that are on record. I don’t believe it would be productive to traverse those issues again here tonight.”
Ms Deves said the issues most raised with her by locals involved the cost of living, small business recovery, health services, mental health and aged care.
One Nation’s Steven Tripp suggested that Ms Steggall would support Labor in a hung parliament. He also called or a Royal Commission into Covid vaccine mandates and lockdowns and ban ownership of residential properties.
Animal Justice’s Kate Paterson called for more training for nurses and help for farmers to begin “more sustainable practices”.
Labor’s Shireen Morris said an Albanese government would improve education, recognise Indigenous people in the Constitution, provide more support for home ownership, fund more social housing and more training for tradespeople
The Greens’ David Shoebridge said they would advocate for no new coal and gas mines to be allowed, a national anti-corruption commission, dental care covered by Medicare, the removal of negative gearing on investment properties and cut capital gains tax concessions to help reduce property prices
The UAP’s Andrew Robertson said it would mandate a permanent 3 per cent home loan interest rate. to “protect home ownership”.
Ms Steggall said she would continue to be a “champion for climate”, address the pay gap for women, support a federal integrity commission and continue with her Bill on strengthening the rules around political advertising.
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