Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Speaker. It was a ridiculous display, befitting what is a ridiculous policy that is being put forward by those opposite. And it simply ignores the inconvenient truth for those opposite that we don't have a civil nuclear industry in Australia today, and to establish one from scratch would cost money and take time. I mean, it's not that simple—although the Leader of the Opposition may think it's that simple, because he thinks the way it works is that you go off and burn uranium, go out the back and set up a bonfire, throw some uranium on it and—bingo!—there's renewable energy. But, unfortunately, that's not how it actually works.

Every expert out there makes it completely clear that we would be waiting a 20-year duration before we could reasonably expect to have nuclear energy in this country were we to go down that path—and, even then, all we are talking about is a contribution of four per cent to the electricity grid. But do all of that, and you will achieve the single most expensive form of electricity this country could pursue, an increase of $1,200 onto the household budgets of every Australian. That's the idea that is being put forward by those opposite.

Well, on this side of the House we reject that idea. We are pursuing policies in the here and now, which are being pursued around the world—firmed renewable energy, which is the cheapest form of energy, which is being brought online around the world. That's what we're doing right now—not in 20 years, but right now—such that, since we've come to power, we've increased the grid by 25 per cent in terms of its renewable capacity. That is what we are doing, and it stands in stark contrast to the ridiculous antics we see from those opposite.

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