The Australian people are being invited to centre stage for a national conversation on nuclear energy, dubbed ‘Time to Talk Nuclear.’
“It’s time to talk nuclear,” said Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Ted O’Brien in launching a grassroots community engagement program in Sydney today.
As energy bills skyrocket, the grid wobbles and regional Australia see their jobs and way of life under threat, people are shaking their heads and thinking ‘there has to be a better way’.
“The trick to decarbonising the economy is to not decapitate it along the way,” said Mr O’Brien. “And this is the problem with Labor’s approach.”
“Other countries are reducing their emissions while keeping costs down and their network secure with nuclear energy. The question is- should we?”
“Together with the Australian people, let’s find out.”
The starting point for the Time to Talk Nuclear program is an online survey that will open a two-way conversation with the Australian public about the benefits and concerns of advanced nuclear technology becoming part of Australia’s future energy mix.
The survey comes as the Coalition reviews the potential for advanced nuclear technologies to contribute to Australia’s energy security and reduce power prices.
It follows Oppositon Leader Peter Dutton’s call for a national conversation about nuclear technology.
Mr O’Brien says the Coalition’s approach is to put everyday Australians at the centre of a national conversation and let their voices be heard.
“There is no greater pre-requisite for nuclear energy than community consent, and that is why opening a genuine two-way conversation with the public is so important,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Securing the correct balance of technologies to deliver low-cost, reliable, and clean energy is critical to Australia’s future.”
“Nuclear energy is clean energy and it should be on the table for consideration.”
The launch of the survey comes just weeks after the Labor Government’s budget revealed power prices would increase by 56% over the next two years.
The skyrocketing price of electricity has left thousands of businesses facing collapse and is threatening around 800,000 jobs nation-wide.
Fresh off a national ‘listening tour,’ Mr O’Brien says he has seen the devastating impact that soaring energy prices are having on families and businesses first-hand.
“People are hurting, and businesses are on their knees,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Australians are shaking their heads at their energy bills and thinking ‘there has to be a better way’.”
“That’s why it’s high time that we have a mature discussion in Australia about the role advanced nuclear energy could play in strengthening our energy security, cutting energy costs and reducing our emissions.”
Thirty-three countries around the world have adopted nuclear energy technologies and another fifty are looking to do so.
France is delivering on its climate targets while providing its citizens with low-cost and reliable clean energy and derives more than 75 percent of its electricity from nuclear power.
The UK plan to triple the size of their nuclear generation by 2050 so nuclear can form 25 per cent of its energy mix to deliver on its net zero goal.
“Time to Talk Nuclear – please join the conversation.”
The survey can be accessed via timetotalknuclear.com.au
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