MEDIA RELEASE
19 December 2024
Labor’s Scaremongering Jeopardises Nuclear Medicine and Cancer Patients
In a new level of desperation, the Labor Party has posted a video on social media making the astonishing and dangerous claim that ‘from a health perspective, nuclear makes no sense.’
This is blatantly untrue and sends a dangerous message to the hundreds of thousands of cancer patients who rely on nuclear medicine every year.
Australia produces around 800,000 doses of nuclear isotopes each year at Lucas Heights in Sydney, which has been operating for more than five decades for the benefit of Australian patients.
Nuclear medicine plays a critical role in the modern Australian health system, benefitting patients through PET scans and the diagnosis and treatment of many different cancers.
However, Labor’s alarmist video warns Australians, “the more radiation you are exposed to, your greater risk of cancer, heart attack, stoke.” This would cause unnecessary concern and distress for Australians whose lives may depend on nuclear medicine, and for the families of patients undergoing treatment.
Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Anne Ruston said that we all know someone who has relied on nuclear medicine for diagnosis or treatment, and potentially even someone who would not be alive today without it.
“For the Labor Party to scare people away from nuclear medicine and scans not only puts them at a new level of desperation, but it is also incredibly irresponsible,” Senator Ruston said.
“This sort of scaremongering behaviour runs the risk of jeopardising people’s confidence in nuclear medicine, risking their chances of diagnosis and treatment and placing lives at risk.
“The Albanese Government even recognised this yesterday by funding two new nuclear medicines through their Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
“Labor knows full well the dangers of misinformation on social media, yet they are contributing to misinformation by producing and publishing these sorts of videos.”
Shadow Minster for climate Change and Energy, Ted O’Brien called for the “fact-free and desperate scare campaign” video to be immediately removed.
“Labor’s latest video attacking nuclear technology devalues our expertise as a nation and sends all the wrong signals to Australians who rely on our nuclear reactor in Sydney to provide the medicine they need.
“Absent of any intellectual argument against nuclear energy, Labor is desperately trying to scare Australians about a technology we already use in fields beyond energy.”
“Zero-emissions nuclear energy is the world’s safest forms of energy generation.”
“32 nations safely manage nuclear power plants today and 50 more are looking at introducing nuclear for the first time.”
“Meanwhile, Labor is not only keeping nuclear energy illegal in Australia, but they are running scare campaigns to try and scare the Australian people.”
“The fact that Australia’s Energy Minister refuses to walk back these disgusting comments is a national shame being spruiked by the country’s worst performing energy minister.”
“Labor is running a despicable scare campaign and saying nuclear threatens lives when, in truth we know that nuclear technology is saving lives every day of the week.”