Gillard urged to take carbon tax to polls for a mandate

Opposition climate change spokesman Greg Hunt has urged Julia Gillard to call an election if Labor fails to get its carbon tax through  parliament.

Opposition climate change spokesman Greg Hunt has urged Julia Gillard to call an election and seek a mandate on the carbon tax if Labor fails to get the controversial proposal through federal parliament.

Mr Hunt yesterday said the "minority government experiment" had already failed but it would be far worse for the Prime Minister if it could not pass the carbon tax.

"It will have categorically failed if she fails to put the carbon tax through the parliament," he told Australian Agenda on Sky News.

"The decent and right thing to do would be to go to an election to seek a mandate for the policy, both before it goes through the parliament and certainly if it fails to go through the parliament."

Mr Hunt said there was currently no stability in government, border protection policies or in cabinet.

His stance follows Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's repeated call for the Gillard government to take the carbon tax to the polls.

Mr Hunt also reiterated his support for nuclear power yesterday, saying it should be considered for Australia but only if there was bipartisan support for it.

"My view is that globally, nuclear power is a critical element in lowering emissions," he said.

"It is about one-sixth of global energy. In Australia, we contribute to that cycle and we need to be very honest about it.

"We export uranium and it's not used for paperweights, it is used for reducing emissions."

Mr Hunt said he had no "in principle objection" to nuclear power but any plan would require backing from major parties to get off the ground.

"We would need bipartisan support or otherwise it could rip communities apart," he said.

"Secondly, there is always the sovereign risk of a future government changing the investment regime.

"So, until there's bipartisan support, I don't see it happening in Australia."