Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, representing the Prime Minister. Given that the leak at Lucas Heights nuclear reactor demonstrated that even countries like Australia cannot prevent dangerous radioactive leaks and accidents occurring in nuclear facilities, given that the UK Sustainable Development Commission and the Union of Concerned Scientists in the US recognise nuclear reactors as terrorist targets—with the latter saying that the Indian Point reactor poses a severe threat to the entire New York metropolitan area—given that the government has just spent $10.6 million on a new security entrance at Lucas Heights in spite of the government’s view that a nuclear power plant is not more of a target than the electricity grid or a railway network, and given your own view, Senator, that nuclear power would not be economic in Australia for 100 years, what is the real reason that the Prime Minister has instigated an inquiry into the nuclear industry and power generation in Australia when renewable and solar thermal technology can safely, cost effectively and quickly produce all of Australia’s electricity requirements?