Coalition says nuclear plan does not rely on less economic activity

The Federal Opposition has dismissed claims its nuclear energy plan assumes Australia would produce less economic growth – not more – during a stopover in Gunnedah this month.

Queensland LNP Senator and Shadow Minister for Resources, Susan McDonald, joined the pre-election campaign trail in Gunnedah for visits to a local flour mill and a coal mine.

Speaking outside Whitehaven Coal, the opposition senator said more needs to be done by the government to support productivity, particularly in the mining sector.

“We are a resources country and in the long term, resources and commodities do more to support Australia in ways other than just taxes,” Senator McDonald said.

“[But] in the last two and half years we’ve seen mining investment slow in this country.”

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said the Coalition’s costings for nuclear power in Australia assume such productivity would not eventuate.

“The Coalition are irresponsibly asserting that costs will be lower because Australians will use less power,” Mr Bowen said.

“They ignore the independent advice from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

“[Opposition Leader] Peter Dutton’s nuclear scheme isn’t a plan to meet our growing energy needs – it’s nothing more than a recipe for bringing our economic growth to a halt.

“Australia needs new, cheap power now, not expensive power in 20 years. Ageing, expensive and unreliable coal plants are closing and we have to fill the gap.”

Speaking to the Gunnedah Times, Senator McDonald said the assertion that the Coalition’s nuclear plan is relying on Australians using less power, with less productivity, is unfounded.

“I’m intrigued that Chris Bowen would be now commenting on nuclear costings when he has not costed his ‘eggs in one basket’ renewables only plan which will require thousands of kilometres of transmissions lines, thousands of acres covered in solar panels and wind farms and unreliable baseload power,” she said.

“I wish he would spend as much time researching his own policies and their costings as he does undoing the policies by the Coalition to ensure we have long-term, stable, zero emissions electricity.

“Every business I go to is talking about scaling production once they get into that peak period of 5-8pm, whether it’s the flour milling business or manufacturing in other parts of this country.

“The skyrocketing electricity under this government is forcing businesses to the wall, manufacturers and Australian jobs to leave and go off-shore.”