Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance and Administration) Share this | Hansard source

I think I am regarded for my appropriate modesty, and I have much to be modest about. I have certainly never claimed to be any sort of world authority; I have merely reported on my experience in the ministry in relation to uranium and nuclear matters and therefore take a great interest in this matter. While I have not read all of the Switkowski report, it is clear in his report that on current arrangements and current pricing, and with the significant advantage we have in fossil fuel energy, nuclear power is not currently viable. That is the fact, and it could only be viable if a price was placed on carbon. The only way you can do that is with a tax, which we are not in favour of, or an emissions-trading scheme, which Labor apparently want. They want to place an emissions-trading scheme on Australia without any reference to the rest of the world, therefore increasing energy prices, making electricity much more expensive for the people they claim to represent and pricing energy intensive industries in this country out of business.