Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is set to address a meeting of the Liberal Party Federal Council on Saturday where he will aim to garner support for his newly-unveiled nuclear pledge.
According to The Australian, new polling – conducted by the Liberal Party and Nationals – shows “more than 50 per cent of residents in communities support a nuclear replacement option for coal across all seven sites” where generators are proposed to be built.
The locations of the nuclear reactors include Liddell and Mount Piper in New South Wales, Loy Yang in Victoria, Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Port Augusta in South Australia and Collie in Western Australia.
While the Coalition has not yet placed a figure on its nuclear policy, Mr Dutton is set to claim Labor’s renewables will cost the nation more than one trillion dollars.
The Australian reports Mr Dutton will accuse Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of international appeasement regarding renewable energy and the nation’s climate targets.
The Opposition Leader is also set to discuss how the Coalition can beat the Albanese Labor government at the next federal election which is set to be held by May next year.
Mr Dutton unveiled his nuclear policy on Wednesday morning, revealing the proposed locations of seven nuclear reactors which would be built on the sites of existing aging coal-fired power stations in regional Australia.
Mr Dutton said the reactors would be just a “fraction” of Labor’s renewables scheme and the first two would be built between 2035 to 2037 if the Coalition is elected.
The policy earned scathing criticism from Labor, with Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen labelling the vision a “risky nuclear scam” and raising doubts over whether it could be achieved.
“The only details they’ve released is an admission that even on their own timetable, which is hugely ambitious, they couldn’t get a nuclear reactor up in Australia until 2035 or 2037,” he said on Wednesday afternoon.
“Now, that would be, in and of itself, the fastest nuclear rollout in the world in a country that doesn’t have a nuclear industry.
“But even on their own figures, they can’t deliver before then.”