Australia election 2025 live: Albanese campaigns at proposed WA nuclear site that Dutton ‘refuses to visit’
Albanese campaigns at proposed WA nuclear site that Dutton ‘refuses to visit’
Anthony Albanese is addressing reporters in Collie, around 200km south of Perth.
He pointed to the Collie power station behind him, which will close in a few years, and said:
What we’re seeing here is jobs created in construction – but importantly as well, clean energy. This transformation is real and it’s happening right now.
And what will not happen here, of course, is a nuclear power station. We have [Peter] Dutton, who refuses to visit this site – but he refuses to visit any of the sites, any of the seven sites [of the Coalition’s proposed nuclear reactor sites].
He hasn’t been near any of them, and you would think that there was radiation coming from these sites because he just won’t come and won’t talk about what his plans actually are.
Key events
PM says Coalition plan to ditch activity test will disadvantage women
Anthony Albanese is now criticising the Coalition’s plan to get rid of the activity test, saying this would disadvantage women seeking to get back into the workforce.
All of the analysis says the activity test stops women with kids being able to get back into the workforce and participate, and therefore benefit not just themselves and their families but benefit the economy as well …
This is in opposition that, if they have any policies, they are either taken from overseas or they are taken from the reversal of reforms we have put in place.
PM calls out lack of detail in Coalition’s defence announcement
The prime minister has taken another question on the Coalition’s defence investment – interjecting “what is it that they have announced?” – and said Labor has announced $57bn additional funding for defence over 10 years.
Anthony Albanese continued, saying:
I haven’t seen any specific programs from this defence announcement today. I find it extraordinary that you try to get a headline with a big number, and then there’s nothing of what the big number should be invested in. What is it that they are saying we should invest in our capability, and how should we pay for it? They’re the big questions which are there now.
We’ll always continue to invest in our capability. Later this year we will begin, for example, producing missiles made here in Australia. So there are manufacturing benefits behind our defence industry programs as well.
PM says Dutton’s team ‘in hiding’ for most of campaign
Anthony Albanese was asked for his thoughts on the Coalition’s defence investment, announced today, and their nuclear plan, in comparison to what Labor is spending?
The prime minister said Peter Dutton was “unable to say where the money would come from, except for confirming that they will put up income taxes”.
This election campaign is a choice between Labor, that will lower your income tax, and the Coalition, that will increase your income taxes – but that doesn’t cover the amount that they’ve announced as well. So on top of that, there’ll be more cuts needed.
On the defence investment from the Coalition, Albanese said Dutton “also hasn’t been able to say what the money would be used for.”
It’s extraordinary that you make this announcement with a very large figure in the tens of billions of dollars [and] you can’t say what you will use the money for …
This is an opposition that have not done the hard work – whether it’s defence policy, whether it’s nuclear policy – they can’t explain any of how it would actually roll out. And then they have a team that, for most of the campaign, are in hiding and haven’t been able to come forward at all – and [Andrew] Hastie is just one example of that.
PM flags ‘more to say’ on Labor’s plan for men’s health
Anthony Albanese said he would have more “more to say” in the days ahead about Labor’s plans for men’s health.
It comes after Labor MP Dan Repacholi called for a minister for men position, and has spoken about his experience taking weight-loss drug Mounjaro.
The prime minister said Repacholi, the Hunter MP, was an “extraordinary Australian” who has been advocating for men’s health, and said:
The fact that Dan, as a public figure, as someone who is a five times Olympian, a Commonwealth [Games] medallist, such a champion bloke is prepared to talk about that is a very positive thing, and I think he’s a great role model for people.
On the issue of men’s health, we’re going to have more to say in coming days about our men’s health strategy that we will be announcing, as I said, in coming days, and we’ll have more to say on that.
PM responds to report in The Australian about Grayndler preferences
Anthony Albanese has been asked about a report in The Australian today, taking aim at him for preferencing the Greens candidate for Grayndler second on his how-to-vote card.
The PM said the “organisational wing do the how-to-vote cards” but added:
The Australian are really obsessed with promoting the Greens in Grayndler, and I congratulate you on your determination to get them known.
But I’ll make this point – people should vote number one for the Australian Labor party … We’ll be continuing to advocate for a number one vote, not just for myself in Grayndler, but for … Labor candidates everywhere. That’s our determination, and I’m not about promoting the Greens’ candidates, whatever their name is.
PM says Dutton ‘not up for having discussions’ with locals around proposed nuclear sites
Anthony Albanese is now taking questions from reporters, and is also taking aim at Peter Dutton for not visiting the sites of the Coalition’s seven proposed nuclear sites.
He hasn’t been here. He hasn’t been to Liddell. He hasn’t been to Callide. Yesterday, he was in Orange. He could have dropped by to Lithgow, [but] deliberately went to Orange rather than Lithgow. He is not up for having discussions with local communities, and they’ve been all over the shop – they’ve said they [would] consult communities, what would happen if they agreed, what would happen if they didn’t [agree].
Bowen takes aim at Dutton for not visiting sites of proposed nuclear sites
Wrapping up his comments, Chris Bowen argued there are two reasons the Coalition “won’t talk about nuclear”.
Firstly, they’ve worked out that the Australian people know this policy is dog, and don’t want it. And secondly, because they haven’t done the work and they can’t answer the questions. That’s why Peter Dutton isn’t here. That’s why he won’t go to the nuclear sites. And that’s why he’s unable to answer basic questions.
Bowen questions where water would come from for Coalition’s nuclear sites
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, is next to speak to reporters in Collie – also taking aim at the Coalition’s nuclear policy.
He described nuclear as the “dark lord of policies – the Voldemort, the policy whose name cannot be mentioned by [the Coalition]” and said:
They will do anything to avoid talking about it. And in fact, Peter Dutton has not been within 50km of one of his proposed nuclear reactors in this election campaign.
He snuck into Collie last year, had a brief and secret meeting with the council and left without talking to the community. And after that meeting, the mayor said he was unable to answer basic questions about his proposal for Collie.
Bowen also questioned where the water will come from for the Coalition’s seven proposed nuclear reactors, saying:
He said recently he’d done the analysis. Well, if he’s done the analysis, he hasn’t released it. It’s a secret document. The opposition has no plans, no detailed analysis of where the water will come from.
WA premier touts battery project at Collie
The Western Australian premier, Roger Cook, said there had been “exciting progress” at Collie with its battery energy storage project – with 500 workers and 640 batteries, and 160 inverters.
We’ll be ready to see this site fully commissioned by October this year. And this is an important part of what we’re doing as a nation. This is the energy transition that you can see right in front of you.
When we started this project, we said it was the biggest in Australia. By the time we finish it, it won’t even be the biggest in Collie … This battery is now on track to make sure that every this summer and every summer going forward, we have strong, reliable, renewable and gas-fired energy sources which will continue to power this state into the future.
Albanese continues to criticise Coalition’s nuclear plan
The prime minister said that at Collie, batteries are being placed “very close to where the transmission lines have been traditionally”.
Anthony Albanese continued to take aim at the opposition leader, saying:
Peter Dutton talks about nuclear power, but isn’t prepared to back it up, and certainly isn’t prepared to consult local communities about whether they want these nuclear power, energy powers, in their local communities …
We think that there’s an enormous contrast at this election, and there’s a choice that Australians have: to continue to have renewables backed by gas, backed by batteries, backed by hydro … or whether we put that all on pause, pretend that this transformation isn’t happening [and] have nuclear energy sometime in the 2040s, paid for by taxpayers.
Albanese also criticised the fact Dutton hasn’t revealed details of the Coalition’s costings for its nuclear plan yet.
Albanese campaigns at proposed WA nuclear site that Dutton ‘refuses to visit’
Anthony Albanese is addressing reporters in Collie, around 200km south of Perth.
He pointed to the Collie power station behind him, which will close in a few years, and said:
What we’re seeing here is jobs created in construction – but importantly as well, clean energy. This transformation is real and it’s happening right now.
And what will not happen here, of course, is a nuclear power station. We have [Peter] Dutton, who refuses to visit this site – but he refuses to visit any of the sites, any of the seven sites [of the Coalition’s proposed nuclear reactor sites].
He hasn’t been near any of them, and you would think that there was radiation coming from these sites because he just won’t come and won’t talk about what his plans actually are.
Australia urged to walk away from gas for renewables
About three in five people believe adding renewables – such as wind and solar with battery storage – is a better solution to meet Australia’s energy needs than increased gas production, AAP reports.
More than half believe fracking brings more problems than benefits to local communities, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by environmental financing advocacy group Market Forces.
Labor has committed to opening new gas fields as part of Australia’s transition to net zero emissions, while the Coalition has promised to increase gas supply to try to lower energy prices.
Market Forces does not take positions on political parties as it focuses on the private sector, but analyst Kyle Robertson said expanding new gas fields was incompatible with the goals of the Paris agreement:
We’re still a massive exporter of fossil fuels and both major political parties support that. We need to walk away from our expansion plans, not just domestically, but also for projects that will be exported overseas.
A majority of people think expanding gas does not benefit them or the nation, the YouGov survey found.
Fracking in particular is a sore spot for many Australians, with two in three believing it is harmful for the environment and just under half opposing the practice, which is banned in Tasmania, Victoria and 15 countries due to environmental and health risks.
Almost half of them believe expanding renewable energy is a better option, while 42% believe it is harmful for the environment.
Emily Wind
Good afternoon! Emily Wind here, I’ll be with you for the next few hours here on the blog.
