Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Given global momentum for nuclear energy along with support from the world's largest banks, including Bank of America, Barclays, Brookfield, Citi, Credit, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Rothschild & Co—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member's going to pause. We're going to take as long as we need to do this. The minister for the environment is now warned. It's really simple: people are going to ask their questions in silence. We will stop question time to enable that to happen, which means there could be fewer questions. I don't think anyone wants that. So the member for Fairfax will begin his question again.

Ted O'Brien (Fairfax, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

To the Acting Prime Minister: given global momentum for nuclear energy along with support from the world's largest banks, including Bank of America, Barclays, Brookfield, Citi, Credit, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Rothschild & Co; leading technology companies, like Google, Microsoft and Amazon; and even Young Labor, calling for an end to Australia's nuclear ban, why does the Albanese government remain so stubbornly opposed to exploring this proven zero-emissions energy source?

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

I thank the honourable member for his question. The answer is that it's all about cost and it's all about economics. We don't have a civil nuclear industry in Australia today. It is a significant fact, an inconvenient truth, which those opposite simply—

Hon. Members:

Honourable members interjecting—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Acting Prime Minister is going to pause. I just made the point when the member for Fairfax was being heard that I wanted everyone to be silent. So, the answer to that question is not to start yelling straightaway, particularly this close to me. So, interject if you must; yell—don't do that.

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

It is—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, no. This is not what anyone wants and I don't think what the people of Australia want. So you'll leave the chamber under standing order 94(a). I'm just asking everyone to show some restraint and some respect. That's completely not on.

The member for Fairfax then left the chamber.

The Acting Prime Minister is going to be heard in silence.

Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Defence) Share this | Link to 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.