Joanna Gash (Gilmore, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is not actually a federal government issue anymore, but never mind. I would like to speak about the invisible member for Fraser. Where is the invisible member for Fraser, Mr Bob McMullan? He is quite capable of making comments about locating a nuclear facility in the Jervis Bay territory. I say that his comments were mischievous, misleading and irresponsible. Frankly, I am surprised that Mr McMullan even knows where this part of his seat is and I wonder whether his constituents have ever seen him. He is just plain invisible.

Mr McMullan seems only interested in the welfare of his constituents in the Jervis Bay territory if there is a political gain to be made. His statements are pure speculation. Despite the fact that I have ruled out a nuclear facility for Jervis Bay, he persists in peddling the story because he is more interested in whipping up anxiety and doubt. He did the same for ethanol when the Labor Party tried to kill off the debate by supporting the line from the oil companies. You might recall Mr McMullan, the member for Fraser, made a comment about a garage mechanic saying that ethanol caused the concerns in the car’s faulty system when in actual fact it was kerosene. He did not even have the decency to apologise to the House.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Greg Hunt, is already on record in the South Coast Register as ruling out such a proposal unreservedly because it is plain that it is not a suitable location for a number of reasons. In fact, I will go so far as to say that if this gets up I will resign. That is how positive I am that there will be no nuclear reactor or nuclear waste depot at Jervis Bay. There is no basis that would justify such a conclusion. All that has been said so far is that the nuclear debate is rightly on the table as is the debate over other forms of alternative energy. That should happen, of course. To then draw all sorts of far-fetched conclusions is not only irresponsible but ignorant of the facts. He could well have speculated that because I have been a strong advocate of ethanol I was going to arrange to have wheat fields planted on every spare block throughout Gilmore. He just could not be sillier. Mr Invisible, come and see your electorate.

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