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

My question without notice is to Senator Ian Campbell, Minister for the Environment and Heritage. Can the minister confirm that he believes that the federal government, through its use of the corporations power in the Constitution, can override state governments in mandating sites for nuclear reactors? What legal advice has the minister sought and received on this issue? Does the minister believe that the views of local communities and state and territory governments are irrelevant and have no influence in determining where nuclear reactors might be sited? Does this mean that the Howard government alone will decide where nuclear reactors will be located?