Golding’s view.Credit:Matt Golding
The Labor example is proof of the risk in offering detail,not an excuse for dodging that detail. The point is that Labor did the policy work. Dutton is moving earlier than Labor but is not showing voters the same respect.
“This is such a big change that surely it behoves them to offer more details,” says energy expert Tony Wood of the Grattan Institute.
There is a good debate to be had about the future of the energy grid and the best baseload power to complement wind and solar.
Dutton could have done more work on whether small modular reactors might be suitable for Australia,giving voters a broad range of the potential cost. All he did was name seven sites that might,in theory,house something to be decided at a later date.
Dutton may avoid offering details to avoid the pesky political problems they could trigger,but that would only lend weight to a common assumption that his nuclear idea is merely a cynical way to claim action on climate without really acting at all.
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