John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I do not have any nuclear power stations. But let me say this: I do have an open mind about the energy needs of Australia in the future. I believe in a confident Australian future. I believe that this nation needs an energy policy that includes every option that will preserve our wealth, continue our economic growth and protect our environment. I believe that the only way we can do that is to look at all of the options. I am not prepared to go backwards like the Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition is a great one on going backwards. He wanted to go back on the GST. He wants to go back on workplace relations and he wants to go back on employment changes. My argument is a very simple argument—that is, if we care about a balanced future, about a sustainable future, we look at every option. We do not close our minds.

I am interested to know, of course, where the questioner comes from. She comes from one of the great coalmining areas of Australia. I wonder whether she tells her constituents—those Labor members of the Newcastle council who voted to put a cap on the coalmining industry of the Hunter—about the consequences for Australian industry of the policy being advocated by the member for Grayndler. She probably takes the member for Batman to the Hunter but she never takes the member for Grayndler to the Hunter. The great problem for her is that the man who is making the environmental policy for the Labor Party, the anti coal environment policy of the Labor Party—

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