Queensland election: Peter Dutton in green nuclear pitch to David Crisafulli

Peter Dutton will spruik nuclear power as a way to cut electricity costs and lower carbon emissions to win over David Crisafulli if the LNP leader wins the Queensland election.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli and LNP candidate David Lee in Hervey Bay on Tuesday. Picture: Liam Kidston

Peter Dutton will spruik nuclear power as a way to cut electricity costs and lower carbon emissions in an effort to win over David Crisafulli if the LNP leader wins Saturday’s Queensland election.

The federal Opposition Leader said there was a “compelling” emissions and economic case for his plan to build seven nuclear reactors in Australia, including two in regional Queensland.

But his policy has been rejected by Mr Crisafulli and Labor Premier Steven Miles in his home state of Queensland, where both leaders have told voters they will not repeal a statewide nuclear ban if elected.

“It’s a compelling argument: firstly it’s zero emissions, secondly we can bring down the cost of electricity, and thirdly we can underpin with baseload power the renewables that are important in our system as well,” Mr Dutton told ABC Radio.

“That’s the pitch that we would make to Premier (of South Australia Peter) Malinauskas or (NSW Premier Chris) Minns or hopefully premier Crisafulli.”

Mr Crisafulli on Tuesday repeated his insistence that he did not support nuclear energy, but has failed to say why he opposes the policy.

Mr Miles has pledged to hold a plebiscite on the issue if re-elected but will not say whether he would change his position if Queenslanders voted to back nuclear energy.

Asked three times by The Australian about potentially revoking the state’s ban, Mr Miles said he would work to block the alternate power source.

“I’m very confident that once Queenslanders see how much more expensive Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan will be, they will vote against it,” Mr Miles said.

“But I’m also very confident that if I remain the Premier, if I am elected this weekend, then I will have a mandate for my position, which is to oppose Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan.”

Nuclear energy is a central pillar of the federal Coalition’s policy agenda ahead of the next federal election, due by May.

Mr Dutton’s plan is to convert two of Queensland’s existing coal-fired power stations – at Tarong in southeast Queensland and Callide in central Queensland – into nuclear reactors.

Mr Miles would not be drawn on whether the state-owned sites and the associated infrastructure would be handed over to a future LNP federal government.

There is a statewide ban on nuclear power in Queensland, with a provision in the 2007 Act requiring a plebiscite on the issue should the commonwealth takes steps to build a nuclear facility.

On Tuesday, Mr Crisafulli described the idea of a plebiscite on nuclear energy as “another distraction” that showed Mr Miles’s desperation.

“Another distraction, another Steven Miles special. We’re a handful of days away from a really, really critical state election and I want Queenslanders to know we don’t support nuclear energy, it’s not part of our plan,” Mr Crisafulli said, describing Mr Miles’s comments as a “scare campaign”.

But the Labor leader took aim at Mr Crisafulli’s inability to answer questions about his position on several policies, including abortion, debt reduction and nuclear energy. “He talks pretty slick, but he never answers anyone’s questions,” Mr Miles said.

“One of the main differences between me and David Crisafulli this whole campaign, he’s not answered any questions. In fact, I’ve never seen a politician who can take questions for more than an hour and not answer any of them.”

Campaigning in Mackay on Tuesday, Mr Miles announced that six of Labor’s promised 50 bulk-billing medical practices would open in the Labor-held regional seat.