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

The member for Gilmore is a magnificent representative. What is more, she lets her people speak—and her people speak very warmly of her representation. I just assure the member for Grayndler that I am quite certain the Australian people will have plenty of opportunity to express their views about nuclear power on a number of occasions in the future.

But, while we are talking about nuclear power, I just happen to have come across a bit of paper, marked confidential, which is Professor Ross Garnaut’s speech ‘China’s Economic Growth and the World Energy Balance’—uranium, energy et cetera. A question to Professor Garnaut reads:

Ross, as China and India expand their energy needs, do you think, given the dangers inherent in relying too heavily on fossil fuel, that Australia has a moral imperative to sell uranium to—you know—large quantities to those two countries?

He is instructive on that, then goes on to dwell on another matter and then says:

Well, I think we’ve all got imperatives, moral and otherwise, to address greenhouse issues seriously. Uranium is part of the alternative to fossil fuels and I think we’ve got to think about these issues rationally.

Can I say to the member for Grayndler, who puts himself forward as a serious member of the opposition interested—

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