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

I know the game that the opposition are playing. They may think it is clever short-term politics but it is doing a great deal of long-term damage to a sensible debate this country. I welcome the fact that three prominent Australian businessmen have formed a company to look at the issue of nuclear power generation. I would think it completely unexceptionable that they might have had some contact with the government. I listened with fascination to all of the questions asked by the Leader of the Opposition.

What on earth turns on somebody who, according to the Premier of South Australia, is a good enough adviser on the business affairs of South Australia to sit at the cabinet table with the Labor Premier? There is Mr Walker, who was, I am very happy to say, Honorary Federal Treasurer of the Liberal Party, and a very good one—and he is now the Chairman of John Fairfax Ltd. And there is Robert Champion de Crespigny, who, amongst other things, as well as being a very successful businessman, was a member some years ago of the Council for Reconciliation and devoted a great deal of time to improving relations between the Indigenous population and the rest of the Australian population.

But I would just say to the member for Parramatta: I think this nation, if it is serious about climate change, has to look at the nuclear option. I am not frightened of that. I am not ruling out power stations anywhere in this country. That is a juvenile, idiotic game to play. To those who sit opposite, if you are interested in a serious debate—

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