Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. What discussions has the minister had with any representative of Australian Nuclear Energy Pty Ltd about the establishment of a nuclear reactor in Victoria or South Australia?

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker—

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’re not going to read that!

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You can read it from there, except it has ‘confidential’ written on it. I have not seen the proposal, but I would certainly welcome a debate on nuclear energy as part of our future energy mix from those who sit opposite. It should also include a debate on how that all fits together in terms of the extra money that we are already putting into low-emission coal, low-emission gas—

Wayne Swan (Lilley, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It was a very specific question: what discussions has the minister had?

David Hawker (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I remind the member for Lilley that, if he wants to take a point of order, he should be quite clear on what the point is. He will not debate it.

Ian Macfarlane (Groom, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would welcome a debate. In fact, I would also welcome the Leader of the Opposition and the premiers of each state copying the Howard government’s uranium policy because, until we can actually mine the uranium in each state, we cannot export it. I have here a media statement from Australian Nuclear Energy Pty Ltd, which was just passed to me. The statement says:

The Australian community will ultimately decide the best way to provide sustainable energy for our country.

I would hope that that would be through a debate. I know the Leader of the Opposition likes debates. The media statement goes on:

Australian Nuclear Energy Pty Ltd is a private company established to examine potential commercial responses to future energy needs.

ANE company secretary Mr Bruce Fitzgerald says that contrary to today’s media reports, the company has not put forward a proposal to build nuclear power plants in Australia.

The company will make no further comment.