Peter Dutton's nuclear energy plan for Australia is never going to happen - but it will still dominate the election, writes PETER VAN ONSELEN Dutton announces his nuclear power plans Won't be able to implement it because of state opposition Will distract from the real issues Australians are concerned about By Peter van Onselen, Political Editor for Daily Mail Australia Published: 21:50 EDT, 18 June 2024 | Updated: 22:00 EDT, 18 June 2024 e-mail View comments The great nuclear debate can now begin in earnest. Only it won't be great. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has announced his plans to campaign for introducing nuclear power into Australia's energy mix at the next election .
There is so much to unpack surrounding what happens next: the political implications, the policy feasibility of 'going nuclear', what it means for energy prices and emissions reductions targets, as well as what the chances are of it ever happening. Unfortunately, however, all we are going to get from here is a Seinfeld election campaign about nothing. Labor will focus in on the mother of all scare campaigns, which will be divorced from reality.
And the Coalition, even if it can win the election on its big nuclear policy, won't be able to implement it anyway because of opposition across the states. Australia is destined to lack the maturity to discuss the viability of nuclear energy free of partisan fights and ideological support or opposition towards the technology, irrespective of whether going nuclear.