Queensland Rips Into Dutton’s Nuclear Plan Amidst Political Tensions
Queensland’s Deputy Premier dismisses Dutton’s nuclear proposal, emphasizing local priorities over federal ambitions
Queensland, Peter Dutton, Nuclear Energy, Jarrod Bleijie, Energy Prices
Brisbane: So, Peter Dutton’s big nuclear plan is getting some serious pushback from his own backyard. Queensland’s Deputy Premier, Jarrod Bleijie, isn’t having any of it. He straight-up said the state’s LNP isn’t on board with Dutton’s $331 billion idea to build seven nuclear reactors by 2050.
Bleijie told reporters that this whole nuclear thing is more of a “Canberra battle” and not something they’re interested in. He made it clear that they have their own plan to tackle energy prices for Queenslanders, and it doesn’t involve nuclear power.
When asked about what would happen if the Coalition wins, he just shrugged it off as a hypothetical. He’s focused on running the state, not on Dutton’s nuclear dreams. He even admitted he hadn’t read the economic details Dutton released because he’s too busy with state matters.
Bleijie emphasized that Queenslanders didn’t support Dutton’s plan, and they made that clear during the election. Even the Premier, David Crisafulli, has ruled out lifting the state’s ban on nuclear power, even if the feds decide to go for it.
To build any reactors in Queensland, they’d need a plebiscite, which just adds more hurdles for Dutton. He’s been promising cheaper electricity and a more secure grid, but the criticism is piling up.
Federal Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor tried to soften the blow, saying state ministers often come around to the reality of the situation over time. But it seems like the local sentiment is pretty clear against nuclear.
Jim Chalmers, a fellow Queenslander, pointed out that the state government’s rejection of Dutton’s plan shows how out of touch it is. He called it “economic insanity” and said Queenslanders want nothing to do with it.
Labor is also jumping on Dutton’s claims that nuclear energy would cut costs significantly. Chalmers called those claims either a “complete lie” or a major blunder, pointing out flaws in the modeling used to back them up.
Despite the backlash, Taylor insists that their plan would actually lower costs for consumers by boosting competition. He believes that with the right policies in place, electricity prices will drop under their plan.