Parliamentary Speeches
Nuclear Power Industry ( 19/06/2008)
Mr DONALD PAGE (Ballina) [3.49 p.m.]: I welcome this opportunity to clarify The Nationals' position on nuclear power. Obviously we oppose the motion because it is based on a false premise. The Nationals parliamentary party is the group that determines policy on nuclear energy and although we listen to our grassroots members, unlike the Government, whose members voted approximately 700 to 100 to oppose electricity privatisation, we listen to our people but are not bound by any conference motion. The motion was fairly contested, unlike Labor's privatisation motion, which was seven to one against privatisation yet the Government is still going ahead with it. The Nationals' parliamentary party sets the policy; we are clearly opposed to nuclear power in New South Wales. In order for a nuclear plant to be built in New South Wales legislation is necessary. The last time this matter was debated in the House, on 22 November 2006—and the policy has not changed—the then Leader of the Opposition, the member for Vaucluse, speaking for both the Liberal Party and The Nationals, said:
Months ago I said there would be no nuclear energy in New South Wales There will simply be no nuclear energy in New South Wales under the Liberal and National parties That is why months ago I ruled out nuclear energy, the Leader of the Nationals ruled it out, the member for Ballina ruled it out—and I did that also in my local media—
and Coalition members ruled it out. We said there will be no nuclear power in New South Wales. We will go for clean coal technology; we will go for renewable technology; we will move forward to the next generation. We want to move forward.
The former Leader of the Opposition said that prior to the last election when this very issue was debated in this Parliament. Following The Nationals conference last weekend the Leader of The Nationals, Andrew Stoner, on ABC news stated:
New South Wales Nationals leader Andrew Stoner says he will not adopt a policy supporting nuclear energy that was passed at the party's annual state conference in Sydney today
Mr Stoner says policies formed at state conferences are not binding on the parliamentary wing of the party.
That is the way it is under our constitution. We listen to what our grassroots people have to say and we have rigorous debate. Indeed, the motion was only about research into nuclear power; it was not about endorsing a nuclear power plant. Some of our grassroots members believe that we should research this issue and the conference passed the motion by a narrow majority, but that in no way binds the parliamentary party. Our parliamentary policy has been and will continue to be to oppose nuclear power in New South Wales. Because the motion was passed last Saturday, North Coast Nationals members—the member for Clarence, member for Lismore, member for Tweed, and I—issued an immediate press release to clarify the fact that it was not parliamentary party policy to have nuclear power in New South Wales and that we opposed the motion. In that release we stated:
The strong declaration came after the NSW Nationals conference passed motions supporting research into nuclear power and investigating turning water inland.
Although the motions were only about research and investigations, the MPs reaffirmed their total opposition to nuclear power and turning water inland.
Shadow Minister for the North Coast Don Page said that while the views of conferences were valued and considered, it was the parliamentary party which set the policies the Nationals take to the election.
He said the parliamentary party's position against nuclear power and river diversions had not changed and the four North Coast Nationals MPs would fight any changes to those policies "tooth and nail"
Clarence Nationals MP Steve Cansdell said there was no way he would ever support nuclear power or allow water to be diverted from the Clarence River.
Tweed Nationals MP Geoff Provest bluntly restated his long held position that the Tweed River would be diverted "over his dead body".
The release goes on. This is a furphy by the member from Monaro to try to divert attention from the internal war going on in the Labor Party over electricity privatisation. His constituents do not want him to vote in support of privatisation yet he is doing so. He was even a member of the Unsworth committee that recommended privatisation. I should point out to the Labor Party that a Labor councillor on Baulkham Hills Shire Council, David Bentham, recently said that Wisemans Ferry would be an ``ideal`` place for a nuclear power plant. In an interview with the gazette, Councillor Bentham, a former engineer, said that Wisemans Ferry had most of the characteristics needed for a nuclear power plant. It is near Sydney, close to the power grid, close to cooling water because of the river, and has stable geography. A Labor Party member has said that nuclear power is a great idea, right on the doorstep of Sydney, yet because a Nationals branch member thinks we should research nuclear power, the Labor Party is trying to score cheap political points despite a Labor councillor saying Wisemans Ferry would be a great place to have a nuclear power plant. The Opposition will vigorously oppose the motion because it is based on the false premise that we support nuclear power. We do not support nuclear power; we never have supported it; and we will not support it.
