Queensland election: Steven Miles commits to nuclear power vote

Steven Miles has vowed to hold a plebiscite on nuclear power if Peter Dutton is elected as prime minister.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Steven Miles has vowed to hold a plebiscite on nuclear power if Peter Dutton is elected as prime minister, but will not say whether or not he will change Labor’s policy if Queenslanders back the ­reactors in the state.

The Labor Premier strongly rejected the federal Opposition Leader’s plan to build seven nuclear reactors in Australia, including two in Queensland, if he is elected at the next federal ­election. But Mr Miles said Queensland law required him to hold a plebiscite on the issue if Mr Dutton and the LNP won the federal poll.

“The law bans nuclear in Queensland, but also requires the minister to hold a plebiscite as soon as they reasonably believe that the Australian government intends to build a nuclear reactor,” Mr Miles said.

While campaigning alongside Anthony Albanese on the Gold Coast, the Premier refused to say what he would do if Queenslanders supported nuclear in a vote. “The act requires that that plebiscite be held, and I’ve said I’ll comply with the act,” he said.

The Prime Minister said Mr Dutton’s nuclear policy was an uncosted “fantasy”.

LNP state leader David Crisafulli, meanwhile, was unable – or unwilling – to explain why he opposed Mr Dutton’s nuclear plan.

Asked to explain why he opposed nuclear power and why it was not part of his energy strategy, Mr Crisafulli said his policy involved maintaining existing coal-fired power stations and smaller pumped hydro plants.

He would not say why he opposed nuclear.

“Because we’ve mapped out a strategy, and we’re dealing with the things right now that we control, and that is our focus, and nuclear is not part of our plan,” he said. “Again, I’ve seen the memes, the stacks and the heads and the fish, but I’ve ruled it out. So again, there won’t be changes to that.”

He refused to say whether there were merits to Mr Dutton’s nuclear vision.

“Canberra will have their campaign,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“The Labor Party will have their scare campaign. I’ve got a plan to deliver affordable, reliable, sustainable electricity, and we’re the only side of politics in Queensland that does.”

Mr Crisafulli’s electricity plan is dependent on smaller pumped hydro schemes to cut the state’s carbon emissions. However, he’s been unable to say where the projects will be built, or how much they will cost.

Both Labor and the LNP support the proposed Borumba hydro project near Gympie.

Last week, Mr Crisafulli said an LNP government would keep coal-fired power stations open ­indefinitely to ensure electricity remained “reliable and affordable” during the transition to ­renewables.