Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Special Minister of State and Scrutiny of Government Waste) Share this | Hansard source

I think he is an old leftie, like my good friend over there. Even an old leftie in the US, the President of the United States—this is very important—the head of the most powerful country in this world whose politics are to the Left, the same as Senator Marshall’s, expressed support, in his state of the union address, for ‘building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country’. I agree wholeheartedly with the comments of Peter Cosgrove, who was also quoted in Keith Orchison’s article. General Cosgrove said:

It is almost immoral for this country to export uranium to less technologically advanced and stable nations while refusing to have a nuclear power station here. We are a rich and technologically advanced nation, sitting in a geologically stable continent, so surely we can build and safely operate a nuclear power station.

Why is it that the Prime Minister of this country refuses, point blank, to discuss this matter? I do not understand why he will not engage in a public debate.

Senator Marshall, for all your philosophical sins, you are at least prepared to debate matters. I do not imagine that you and the others in the Left are demanding of the Prime Minister that this not be talked about. I cannot believe that would be the situation, because people like you are intelligent men. So what is it that is stopping us having this debate? I look at the people in the gallery and I say: why are we not prepared to have a community debate about this matter? Why are we not prepared to build some parameters around the debate so we can engage the community? What greater obligation have we got in this place and the other place than to talk about these long-term issues? How can you talk about climate change and the risks of climate change without talking about alternative energy sources? How can you possibly do that, particularly when, as my colleague said, you look around the world and see what is being done elsewhere?

Around the world, there are people who are actually prepared to invest in this technology, who realise that if global warming and climate change are a real issue then you have got to have some real solutions and nuclear must be part of those solutions. Surely between us we can build a potential regulatory framework which will instil some confidence in the Australian people. I readily acknowledge that this is a community perception issue, but surely, as law-makers and opinion drivers, we have a responsibility to put in place some appropriate community discussion that is above politics but will give this important issue the legitimate policy consideration and debate it deserves. Quite frankly, we would be absolutely derelict in our responsibility to our kids and grandkids if we did not have a sensible, bipartisan debate in relation to this matter.