Linda Reynolds (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand here as a very proud member of the Liberal Party and the coalition, because we still have the courage to debate and propose things that are in our nation's interest. We don't hide behind and hurl invectives and insults, as those opposite are doing. We are actually putting forward policy for a serious national debate.

I have heard not one thing from those opposite about how they are going to keep the lights on for the next 80 years and actually reduce emissions. We have put forward a policy that simply makes sense. Of the top 20 economies in the world, all either have nuclear power, use it from other nations or are transitioning to it. They're not doing that because it does not make economic and environmental sense. They are transitioning to the latest technologies, both large-scale nuclear reactors and small modular reactors, which are currently being developed, and they are doing that because it makes sense. Over 30 nations currently use nuclear power and another 50 are transitioning to nuclear power. So we have a very sensible policy to debate in this place, and to debate publicly. As I've said, I'm incredibly proud to be a member of a coalition that has the courage to do this.

Let's have a look at the proposal for my own home state of Western Australia. Of the seven sites that we have identified, which will be located close to a power station that is either closed or scheduled to close, we've recommended Muja, which is about 22 kilometres outside Collie in Western Australia, which the state government has scheduled to close by 2030. This is the perfect place. In Collie we have the workforce, we have the industry and we have the cooling water capacity. We also have the transmission infrastructure—no new poles and wires. It makes sense to have it there in Perth.

The community around Collie will benefit from a multibillion-dollar facility. It will guarantee these high-paying jobs for many generations to come. Remember, under Labor's policy of millions of solar panels and thousands of wind turbines, they'll only last, if you are lucky, up to 20 years. They'll have to be replaced four times over the same time that we will have one nuclear power plant, in this case in Western Australia. It is the right thing to do for our community and our nation. I have to say: get the guts, stop insulting those on this side and doing stupid cartoons and stand up and actually debate the— (Time expired)

Question agreed to.