Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

So between now and 2038, they're refurbishing their brown-coal-fired power stations, and I welcome it. Mate, I'm on a unity ticket if you truly stand behind the resources industry, because the first thing we could do is build a new coal-fired power station in Central Queensland and another one in the Hunter Valley and show the world how we have the best technology in the world.

Whilst we're at it, seeing we're talking about the resources industry, there is another part of the industry I think we should stand behind, and that is nuclear. We extract uranium out of the ground, semiprocess it, turn it into yellow cake, take it through the middle of town and put it on the boat. When it goes on the boat, it's blessed. It becomes the blessed product. It becomes ethical, and it arrives in another country as it ethically drives zero-emissions power for them. Then we even talked about—and it's from the left wing of the Labor Party in South Australia—taking back their rubbish and burying it back in Australia, but you can't use it here. You can't use nuclear energy here. Why not? Maybe you'll have, in the Federation Chamber, a little motion on how you stand behind the uranium industry, all the way to generating nuclear power. I say here again: my name is Barnaby Joyce and this is George Christensen. We support nuclear energy and we support Australian nuclear energy from an Australian product, and, even better, with Australian sovereignty.

Honourable members interjecting—

They always go back to that. They say, 'We'll get them here. Do you want nuclear power?' Yes; I want one in New England. Put it on my corflute: 'I want one in New England.' I'll tell you what I don't want: any more wind farms. They're the ones losing votes. That is a losing vote. You could even come up with a policy. I add to the policy: if you can see it, your power is free. That's what they do in other countries. You know what will happen then when you say, 'If you can see it, your power is free'? People will suggest that they put them at the top of Flagstaff Hill, the local lookout—anywhere they can get line of sight to it so their power is free. It belies where technology is going now—pebble-bed reactors. They're about 17½ feet across and about 70 feet high, but apparently you don't believe in that either. I love this motion. I say to the member for Paterson, God bless your cotton socks. This is brilliant. The only trouble is: you don't believe it!

Debate adjourned.

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