Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Urban Development) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Minchin, the Minister representing the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources. Is the minister aware of the comments by the industry minister, Ian Macfarlane, at the Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference yesterday:

It is certainly possible that within the next 10 years a nuclear power station could begin to be planned.

I ask how the minister reconciles this claim with his position of 21 May:

I cannot see how nuclear power could possibly be viable in this country for at least 100 years.

Can the minister now explain what, if any, changes have occurred to the viability of nuclear power in Australia between May, when he said it would not be viable for 100 years, and yesterday, when Minister Macfarlane claimed that nuclear power station may only be a decade away. What exactly is the government’s formal position on the viability of nuclear power in Australia?