Who will pay for nuclear power plants?, asks Garrett

AAP Newswire
Tuesday 2/1/2007

Labor wants Federal Treasurer Peter Costello to reveal funding details for up to 25 nuclear power plants a report to the government has recommended to satisfy future energy needs.

Prime Minister John Howard and Mr Costello welcomed last month's report stating that Australia could obtain a third of its electricity generation needs by 2050 with nuclear power stations.

Former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski led the government's uranium Mining Processing and Nuclear Energy Task Force, which made the recommendation. But both Mr Howard and and Mr Costello have said such a project would have to economically viable to go ahead.

Federal Opposition spokesman for climate change Peter Garrett said today Labor opposed the plan and wanted to know who would pay for the reactors. "We definitely don't think it's economically viable but we haven't heard any more from (Mr Costello) on this issue," Mr Garrett told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

"And, as I understand it, he made no submissions to this government for the taskforce report, so we think we'd like to hear from the treasurer on this issue." Mr Garrett vowed no nuclear power plants would be built if Labor won power at the next election.

A Labor government would also establish Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets with a greater focus on solar and wind powered electricity, he said. "We would do the things that the scientific community and the governments overseas are doing now," Mr Garrett told Southern Cross Broadcasting. "We would move immediately to have a market in carbon emissions. "That's something we don't have in Australia which I think is incredible."