Editorial: No memes, just a sensible debate on nuclear power

Despite the best efforts of Labor and the Greens, mature, reasoned and informed debate on nuclear power is flourishing, writes the editor.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has achieved one thing at least since announcing his plan to add nuclear power to Australia’s energy mix last week. Australia is, at long last, having a debate about the merits of nuclear power.

As we pointed out in this column on Friday, many Labor and Greens politicians have refused to enter the debate yet – instead launching an all-out meme assault on Mr Dutton’s plan.

Simpsons creator Matt Groening must be wondering why his three-eyed fish creation is suddenly trending in Australia.

But across the nation – and particularly around the Queensland regions slated to receive reactors – mature, reasoned and informed debate is flourishing.

And in that debate, it is not three-eyed fish that residents are scared of. Those who are generally opposed to the plan point to the price of setting up a nuclear industry from scratch, particularly with the nation so far down the renewables path. And that immense cost would only supply a percentage of Australia’s total energy generated.

Those on the positive end of the debate point to the economic benefits for communities which are facing the loss of the coal industry, as well as the European experience where nuclear power has made something of a resurgence as part of a suite of energy generation options.

And of course, they mention the reliability of a power source that does not rely on the sun shining or the wind blowing.

Today, our poll of 923 randomly selected Australians, in the capital cities as well as the areas slated to receive nuclear reactors shows that six in 10 Australians support Mr Dutton’s plan.

Another poll of 1000 Australians conducted for Nine Newspapers found 41 per cent supported the nuclear plan, 37 per cent rejected it and the rest were yet to form an opinion.

Both polls are a far cry from Labor’s apparent belief that nuclear power is electoral poison and Mr Dutton has shot himself in the foot.

While there was a “NIMBY” factor in The Courier-Mail’s poll, especially in the capital cities, many regional Queenslanders welcomed the possibility of nuclear replacing the coal industry, which now appears friendless in federal politics.

Biloela publican Steve Kerswell said anything that brought jobs to his town was a good thing – even if it meant a nuclear power plant in his backyard.

“Callide Power Station has a shelf life anyway,” he said

“At some stage it will be replaced or shut down. Anything that brings investment, infrastructure, and employment into the community is a great idea.”

It’s an argument that makes a lot of sense. But Mr Dutton has taken a big gamble, and he will need to counter the arguments about massive cost overruns if he is to set Australia on a new energy course.

GOVT MAKES MESS OF CCC REFORMS

The state government has deprived Queenslanders of transparency for nine months since the High Court muzzled the Crime and Corruption Commission from reporting its investigations.

The CCC’s demand for “urgent” legislative reform following the September decision was met by a glacially slow Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath, who took five months to seek and consider legal advice.

Premier Steven Miles then announced another three-month review into how the CCC’s reporting powers should look, led by former Queensland chief justice Catherine Holmes.

Then in May, Ms D’Ath insisted the government would move “swiftly” and legislate “as a matter of priority”.

Four lengthened parliamentary sitting days went by this month with not so much as a peep from the government about this legislation.

Currently Queensland’s corruption watchdog is hamstrung by an inability to use the protection of parliament to report on its corruption investigations.

As Shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls rightly points out, the state government has kicked this can down the road in an attempt to contain the likely political fallout from the CCC’s release of reports into former deputy premier Jackie Trad and former public trustee Peter Carne. Neither is accused of wrongdoing.

Mr Miles is right to acknowledge that proposed changes to the CCC’s reporting powers have gone through a lengthy and capable review, but a Queensland parliamentary committee should not be robbed of its role to consider the proposal.

Failing that the government should back Mr Nicholls’s private bill, which does not muzzle the watchdog from criticising the conduct of politicians.

In the nine months since the High Court’s decision the state government has made a mess of these supposedly urgent reforms.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here

Originally published as Editorial: No memes, just a sensible debate on nuclear power