Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I have to say that I am surprised to get a question from the coalition about what President Macron said, but obviously they are very keen to press the nuclear energy point. There are countries around the world which, many decades ago, made a decision to go down the nuclear path. Some of the countries that you have referenced are amongst those. Australia made a choice not to do that. Australia has made a choice to look to the comparative advantage that we have when it comes to the cheapest forms of energy, which is firmed renewables. More sunlight hits our land mass than any other country. We know that we have so many untapped resources when it comes to renewables.

I appreciate that the opposition are very committed to the nuclear path. I understand Mr O'Brien has said that he'd be happy to have one in his electorate. That's a matter for him. But we will focus on the form of energy which is the cheapest form of new energy, which is renewable energy, rather than what is, frankly, an ideological agenda from those opposite when it comes to nuclear power generation.

There are countries in the world—France and others—which many years ago chose to go down the nuclear energy path. That is not the approach Australia has been taking. We have some of the best wind and solar resources in the world. That's why we joined so many countries to support a key push for renewables and energy efficiency at the Conference of the Parties.