David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. The Minister for Defence was asked in the other place yesterday to confirm that Australia's future nuclear powered submarines were safe, and he answered, 'The short answer to the honourable member's question is that it will be safe to serve on a nuclear powered submarine.' I welcome this clarification, and I seek confirmation that you agree with the defence minister that nuclear submarines are safe for Australia's submariners, as well as those who will build them and maintain them.

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

I respect the fact that Senator Fawcett did serve our country; I always respect that. But I don't respect the way in which your party is seeking to bring the AUKUS debate—

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

'I respect him, but then I tip a bucket on him.'

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

No, mate. You're wrong. I don't respect the way your party is choosing to bring up the AUKUS endeavour in a vain attempt to shore up your energy plan, which is risky, expensive, uncosted and a consequence of the anti-renewables obsession of your leader. I am, and have been since we were briefed in opposition, an advocate for AUKUS—in my party, publicly and in the country. I have made clear our support for the project and our belief in the safety of this technology in nuclear submarines, operating as it has in the Virginia class and others for decades. But to try and bring AUKUS, the biggest endeavour this country has ever engaged in, into a pathetic political fight, in an attempt to shore up a policy that you're embarrassed by, is really the height of hypocrisy. It really is. It is beneath, frankly, the dignity of some on that side who understand the importance of AUKUS and the importance of bipartisanship. (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Senator McKenzie interjecting—

Senator McKenzie, it applies to you. Order, Senator McKenzie! Senator Fawcett was on his feet. Senator Fawcett, first supplementary?

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As you will have been aware, that question was not about AUKUS; it was about nuclear safety. Minister, is the nuclear reactor facility at Lucas Heights, which has been in operation in the suburbs of Sydney since 1958, safe?

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

I'm not sure how this is a supplementary, but we'll go with it. If I can just refer to the primary also, I'll make this point: today we've seen the co-author of the Defence strategic review, Mr Dean—and there have been others, including Mr Richardson—publicly raising concerns about the way in which AUKUS has been brought into your policy debate. Maybe have a think about the fact that some people who are supportive of and have been part of the defence—

James Paterson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Cyber Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is Lucas Heights safe?

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

You said this is a supplementary, so I'm now going with the primary. They are raising the same concerns I am. The Lucas Heights facility has operated with support from both parties of government, including the Labor Party, for many decades to provide appropriate medical isotopes and the like, so of course we'll support it. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Fawcett, second supplementary?

David Fawcett (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, thank you for that confirmation that nuclear technology is safe. Given Australia's track record of and commitment to nuclear safety, as demonstrated by Lucas Heights and also by the future fleet of submarines, will you or the Prime Minister now direct Labor members of parliament to cease undermining the confidence of Australian people in nuclear technology with their reckless social media messages, including the depiction of Australian cartoon characters with three eyes?

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

It says something about the coalition that they're more worried about some social media memes than about ensuring that national security is above politics. It says something absolutely about them, doesn't it? You're so glass jawed. You're so worried about some social media thing I haven't even looked at, but you're happy to bring national security issues into a partisan debate. Give us a break.

In relation to Lucas Heights, I would remind those opposite that, as I said, the facility in Lucas Heights is a medical research facility; it isn't a nuclear power plant. It's completely different in operation and scale from a traditional power plant, producing just 20 megawatts of energy, about two per cent of the size of a typical one-gigawatt large-scale nuclear facility. I know you're grasping at straws because you still can't tell taxpayers how much you're going to make them pay.

Senator Cash, when did you turn into a socialist, making taxpayers pay for this plan to build seven reactors? When did you turn— (Time expired)