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(The Guardian) The Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking at the Minerals Council about Australia’s economic and emissions reduction trajectory.
On today’s growth figures, Dutton said there was “quiet and cautious optimism” about the state of the economy, but warned we are “not out of the woods”, citing “supply chain disruptions, inflation, interest rates, insurance premiums, and the rising cost of living and operating a business”.
Dutton noted that demand for critical minerals is “soaring” because of their role in renewable energy, batteries and electric vehicles. He said: EVs take six times the amount of minerals than a petrol car ... The inconvenient truth for activists is that decarbonisation will require more mining. I take some delight knowing it must keep them up at night.”
Dutton said the Liberals “don’t support locking in” the 43% emissions reduction target because “some nations will not honour their targets, including some competitor nations”. The target “will put us in an inflexible position” and make it “harder if not impossible” for EFIC, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and CSIRO to support resource projects.
Dutton labelled the safeguard mechanism - which the Coalition legislated under PM Tony Abbott and environment minister Greg Hunt - as a “battering ram” and a “tax by stealth”. He said that infrastructure projects, mining and construction “will increasingly become prey to green activism and warfare”. He cited 2,000 climate court cases around the world “many related to national targets” which he said “ceded control to climate advocates”.
Peter Dutton told the Minerals Council that Australia needs a “frank debate” about nuclear energy.
Dutton said: The imperative on all of us to create affordable and reliable and where possible emissions reduced energy necessitates that we at least have a conversation about nuclear. How that technology can play into the energy mix in the future? I think especially since Australia is home to one third of the world’s deposits of uranium. We have a wonderful opportunity to add value to that resource.”
Dutton noted that in the last parliament Liberal Ted O’Brien had written a report in favour of nuclear energy, and that was one of the reasons he was appointed to the shadow energy portfolio.
The Liberals have announced a review of their climate policies and nuclear, but Dutton already weighs in heavily in favour of nuclear.
He noted: Bob Hawke was strongly in favour of nuclear energy and couldn’t get it through the left of his party. John Howard to this day is very strongly in favour of nuclear energy as an option … that crazy right-winger in Canada, Justin Trudeau, is embracing small modular reactors … If you don’t like coal and you don’t like gas, unless you believe clean hydrogen is about to be a reality, then what else firms up renewables? And I don’t know the answer to that question beyond nuclear.”
Dutton then flirted with full Bradfield-scheme areas by suggesting nuclear could “power up irrigation”
On today’s growth figures, Dutton said there was “quiet and cautious optimism” about the state of the economy, but warned we are “not out of the woods”, citing “supply chain disruptions, inflation, interest rates, insurance premiums, and the rising cost of living and operating a business”.
Dutton noted that demand for critical minerals is “soaring” because of their role in renewable energy, batteries and electric vehicles. He said: EVs take six times the amount of minerals than a petrol car ... The inconvenient truth for activists is that decarbonisation will require more mining. I take some delight knowing it must keep them up at night.”
Dutton said the Liberals “don’t support locking in” the 43% emissions reduction target because “some nations will not honour their targets, including some competitor nations”. The target “will put us in an inflexible position” and make it “harder if not impossible” for EFIC, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and CSIRO to support resource projects.
Dutton labelled the safeguard mechanism - which the Coalition legislated under PM Tony Abbott and environment minister Greg Hunt - as a “battering ram” and a “tax by stealth”. He said that infrastructure projects, mining and construction “will increasingly become prey to green activism and warfare”. He cited 2,000 climate court cases around the world “many related to national targets” which he said “ceded control to climate advocates”.
Peter Dutton told the Minerals Council that Australia needs a “frank debate” about nuclear energy.
Dutton said: The imperative on all of us to create affordable and reliable and where possible emissions reduced energy necessitates that we at least have a conversation about nuclear. How that technology can play into the energy mix in the future? I think especially since Australia is home to one third of the world’s deposits of uranium. We have a wonderful opportunity to add value to that resource.”
Dutton noted that in the last parliament Liberal Ted O’Brien had written a report in favour of nuclear energy, and that was one of the reasons he was appointed to the shadow energy portfolio.
The Liberals have announced a review of their climate policies and nuclear, but Dutton already weighs in heavily in favour of nuclear.
He noted: Bob Hawke was strongly in favour of nuclear energy and couldn’t get it through the left of his party. John Howard to this day is very strongly in favour of nuclear energy as an option … that crazy right-winger in Canada, Justin Trudeau, is embracing small modular reactors … If you don’t like coal and you don’t like gas, unless you believe clean hydrogen is about to be a reality, then what else firms up renewables? And I don’t know the answer to that question beyond nuclear.”
Dutton then flirted with full Bradfield-scheme areas by suggesting nuclear could “power up irrigation”
