Senate debates
Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Questions without Notice
Nuclear Energy
2:00 pm
Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Wong. I ask the minister firstly: does the government welcome cooperation between the United States, United Kingdom and other nations to speed up investment in next-generation, zero-emissions nuclear energy technologies? Further, Minister, I draw to your attention a statement from the UK Labour government, in which it said of the agreement signed between the UK and the US that it is also expected to be signed by Australia. Can the minister inform the Senate whether Australia will or will not be signing this agreement with US and UK partners?
2:01 pm
Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
The answer is: no, Australia is not signing the nuclear energy agreement. That's because we do not have a nuclear energy industry. What we will keep doing is continuing to work closely with our international partners to reach net zero, and we will remain observers to this agreement to continue to support our scientists in other nuclear research fields. I think we all understand what Senator Birmingham is seeking to do with this question, which is seeking somehow to build some foundation—some scaffolding—around the so-called policy that Mr Dutton announced. It's a policy that we know will cost billions of dollars, which they haven't fessed up to, and a policy which will deliver—was it four per cent?
Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Yes.
Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
It will deliver four per cent of Australia's energy needs.
Opposition senators: It's 4.1.
They are desperate to try and find some economic credibility on this point. But the facts are entirely against them. And not only are the facts against them, and the market against them, and the advice from AEMO and others in the field against them. We also know what else is against them, and that is their record. The reason we have the challenges we have in the energy sector is the 22 failed policies under you. And now we still have Senator Canavan and others, President, already calling into question the policy of the opposition when it comes to their targets. Senator Birmingham, you can ask all the questions you like, attempting to use others in order to provide scaffolding and foundation to your policy, but everybody knows it is without foundation.
Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Senator Birmingham, first supplementary?
2:02 pm
Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
How did the UK government come to believe that Australia was going to sign this agreement? Did the Albanese government make any representations to the UK government related to its references to Australia, stating that Australia would join UK and US forces to speed up advanced nuclear technology development?
2:03 pm
Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
I think that's not really a question, to me. What I can say to you is—
Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
It was a question to Minister representing the Prime Minister—the foreign minister.
Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
It's a question about a press release from Ed Miliband, who is a good friend of mine and someone with whom I worked very closely in the lead-up to Copenhagen. We both remember that challenging period very well. My point is that this is not an agreement the Australian government will be signing up to. As I said in my primary response, though, it is the case that ANSTO is participating as an observer for the reasons I outlined in my answer to the primary question.
Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Senator Birmingham, a second supplementary?
2:04 pm
Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
Minister, is Ed Miliband correct when he says, 'Advanced nuclear technology will help decarbonise industry by providing low-carbon heat and power, supporting new jobs and investment'? Isn't the only reason for the Albanese Labor government being unwilling to cooperate with the US and UK that you're scared of undermining your scare campaign in Australia at the next election?
Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source
What I would say to Senator Birmingham is that we are focused on what we are doing here. It is true that other countries have a longer history of turning to nuclear power generation for their domestic needs. The point is Australia has not. The point is Australia has a vast array of renewable energy sources at enormous potential, and we know, from all of the advice that was given to you and to us, that nuclear is expensive and its arrival will be tardy.
If you're talking about four per cent in 2040, this is not a solution to the challenges Australia faces. No amount of looking to what the rest of the world does or may do can get over the fact that your policy cannot deliver. (Time expired)