House debates

Wednesday, 15 May 2024

Questions without Notice

Budget

3:07 pm

Photo of Anthony AlbaneseAnthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

That was nine weeks ago, and we've been waiting and waiting. Then he said it was going to be before the budget. We were going to know where the nuclear reactors were going to be. I assume tomorrow night we'll hear who's going to pay for them, how they're going to be financed, whether they will be subsidised or whether they will be able to stand on their own two feet, as the shadow Treasurer on Insiders, on Sunday, said they had to.

The hypocrisy, when it comes to those opposite, is just extraordinary. On Sunday, the shadow Treasurer said: 'You shouldn't have subsidies. They should be able to stack up.' But the Leader of the Opposition, when asked whether they would subsidise nuclear, said very clearly, 'If it provides a base load to renewables, then yes.' And the shadow minister, when asked, 'Isn't it part of the problem that it's so incredibly expensive that you'd need government subsidies to get a nuclear industry up?' said, 'Look, there's no doubt that you'd need government involved.' So they're against any government engagement to support private sector investment.

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