In the media
Coalition nuclear policy is dangerous, deluded and divisive
Media release, 19 June 2024
Peter Dutton’s nuclear policy is dangerous, deluded and divisive – and will cost Australian taxpayers dearly.
As the CSIRO highlights, renewables are the lowest cost new build electricity technology option for Australia. It is also widely recognised that nuclear power is expensive, too slow to build, faces cost blow outs, uses massive amounts of water and is vulnerable to the impacts of heatwaves. Potential incidents at nuclear sites are also essentially uninsurable, with the risks borne by the public.
Peter Dutton has not explained where he plans to dump the huge volumes of radioactive waste that will be created by his policy. While we now know which communities will be forced to host nuclear power plants under a Dutton Government, including the Hunter Valley and Lithgow on the edge of the pristine Blue Mountains National Park, which communities will be forced to bury radioactive waste?
Today’s surprise announcement of proposed sites for seven nuclear power stations in Australia must come as shock to those in the communities selected, as well as many in the Coalition who have now learnt more about Peter Dutton’s ‘captain’s call’. It also comes as both the NSW Premier and the Queensland Liberal leader have ruled out supporting new nuclear power stations in their states.
The cost of this proposal will be in the hundreds of billions, with each reactor costing at least $16 billion according to the CSIRO. Peter Dutton has also not explained how much it will cost to purchase these seven sites from their current owners. These costs will all be borne by Australian taxpayers.
Peter Dutton’s policy will also inevitably lead to higher energy bills for Australians, extend the life of coal in Australia, and delay the progress we are making to build an economy powered by clean, cheap and abundant renewable energy.
At a time when we need to be accelerating the deployment of renewable energy, and maximising the huge economic and social benefits that this brings, this announcement is a cynical distraction. It also sends the wrong message to investors and business.
This policy is about nothing more than the Coalition playing politics and protecting the Dutton Opposition’s fossil fuel mates. It is not a serious energy or climate policy and should be treated as such.
Other relevant posts
ABC Mornings Post-Budget Panel
ABC Radio Mornings, 26 March 2025
Kylea speaks with host Kathryn Robinson and Fowler's Dai Le MP about the 2025 Federal Budget, describing the government's headline-grabbing tax breaks as a "very tiny, very small green shoot" that indicates that Labor may be prepared to begin to consider larger scale tax reform. When asked about the upcoming election, Kylea reiterates her commitment to the community independent movement: "We need everyday Australians stepping up ... to bring their real-life, lived experience into Parliament House, because it's only when you have that experience that you understand the impact that some of these reforms will have."
Fairy Bread: A Bread & Butter Budget Sprinkled with Sugar Hits
Media Statement, 26 March 2025
The 2025 Federal budget is a classic bread and butter budget that focuses on the bare basics but lacks ambition. This time however, it’s more like fairy bread in that it’s sprinkled with a few sugar hits that offer temporary relief for some but no long term, lasting benefits.
The Coalition’s attack on the climate authority is a cynical attempt to put ideology over facts – it must be called out
The Guardian, 27 February 2025
On the Coalition's attack on the Climate Change Authority, Kylea writes: "As my grandmother used to say: we are all entitled to our own opinions. But we are not entitled to our own facts."
When does bipartisanship happen? When mutual self-interest is served
The Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 2025
Economics editor Ross Gittins has described a bipartisan deal on electoral reform as “collusion”, saying the major parties have passed reforms that “advance their interests at the expense of the voters.” He says a minority government would allow independents to push for “braver policies in return for keeping the minority government in power. Not such a bad arrangement.”
‘Swimming in debt’: Sydney’s $14 billion student loan burden
The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 February 2025
New data shows that North Sydney is region with the 4th highest number of students with HELP debt (44,030).
The 12 teal battlegrounds to watch out for this election
Australian Financial Review, 26 February 2025
After the wave of independents that swept the 2022 election, here are the 35 community-backed independents to watch out for as we head towards the polls.
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