TRANSCRIPT - Sky News Saturday Edition with Tim Gilbert

PAUL FLETCHER MP

Shadow Minister for Science and the Arts

Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy

Manager of Opposition Business in the House

TRANSCRIPT

Saturday Edition with Tim Gilbert

22 June 2024

Tim Gilbert: It's good to have you company this Saturday morning. Now the energy debate in Australia has everybody talking, the federal opposition drawing a line in the sand and it's all about a nuclear future. Joining me live is Shadow Minister for Government Services Paul Fletcher. It's got everyone talking. It's almost wiped cost of living off the table for the time being.

Paul Fletcher: Well, you're right, Tim. What Peter Dutton has done together with our energy spokesman Ted O’Brien is put forward a plan that reflects a lot of work, a lot of careful thinking, a lot of study of what is done in other countries.

So for example, one of the central ideas is that locations that have coal fired power plants today would be replaced with a nuclear power plant. We're proposing seven around the country and that's an approach that's been used in a number of other countries. Advantages of it are that in those locations there's typically sufficient water because both coal fired and nuclear powered stations need water cooling.

There's a workforce which is experienced in the energy sector, and a community which supports the importance of the energy sector, and very importantly, connection to transmission lines because one of the big costs in Mister Bowen's plan is 28,000 kilometres of new poles and wires are needed, very, very expensive, taking a very long time to roll out. Total mishandling of the community consultation.

And so this strategic approach of saying let's locate these in places that already have significant coal fired power plants, we know that by 2035, 90% of our existing coal fired power plants will be at end of life. So it is important that we have this mix of nuclear as part of an overall system which will have a lot of renewables and will also have gas.

Tim Gilbert: It's dangerous politically though, because we're not on the election campaign yet. May next year, probably. You in particular, like you as an example, you've battled off a teal to, we're talking about, you know, lines of areas changing. Um, and the teals, will they align themselves with the Greens? It's a difficult one.

Paul Fletcher:  Well, let me make a couple of points about that. Certainly my constituents in the electorate of Bradfield are very concerned about emissions reduction, as are Australians all around the country. They're also, of course, very concerned about cost of living. They're very concerned about affordable and reliable energy because one of the problems we have right now is our grid is fragile and Mister Bowen's plans are making it more fragile.

So one of the points I make to my constituents is the Coalition made a commitment in 2015, our nationally determined contribution was that Australia's emissions by 2030 would be 26% - 28%, down on 2005 levels. 2005, 610 million tonnes of CO2 and equivalent gases. By end of 2022, the numbers came out last year, we're at 432 million. 

So if you whip out your calculator, that's a 29% reduction. The point I make is we promised 26% - 28% by 2030. It was delivered by 2022. Almost all of that under a Coalition Government.

So Mister Bowen's great at announcing targets. He announced his 43% target, actually, since he's been the man with his hands on the levers, we've been flat-lining on emissions reduction. So the coalition delivered a 29% reduction under Mister Bowen, its flat-lining. So that's the first point I'll make to my constituents.

Tim Gilbert: It's going to be challenging. This whole subject is going to be challenging. It will be. And I know that you have more meetings today. We saw last night Mister Dutton, we saw John Howard talking. 

Paul Fletcher: So look, it is but can I-

Tim Gilbert: Just quickly, can you do it quickly? Because I want to touch on China.

Paul Fletcher: Yes, just quickly. Our commitment to nuclear energy is a demonstration of how serious we are, how committed we are to achieving net zero by 2050. Because nuclear will give us affordable power, reliable power, emissions free power. 

Tim Gilbert: Right, China. The Chinese visit this week by the Premier. How do you give it as a scorecard?

Paul Fletcher Well, it was important. The Coalition certainly welcomes the fact that there is dialogue occurring at the very highest levels between Australia and China. As we know, under the previous government, there was a failure of those continuing high level interactions that wasn't from the Australian side, that was from the Chinese side.

And the fact is we dealt with the Morrison Government, the Turnbull Government dealt with a Chinese government, that certainly imposed major restrictions on trade, all of a sudden Australian lobster not being accepted, Australian wine, Australian barley, Australian coal. And we were under pressure. 

We had the ten demands issued by the Chinese embassy in Canberra but Australia maintained its position, and that was the right thing to do. What that has meant is that Mister Albanese has inherited a much stronger negotiating position from the previous government because it was demonstrated that Australia is not simply going to, collapse or change our position, because of that kind of pressure.

Now we want a mutually respectful relationship that is very important. It's an important economic relationship. We want a stable, secure Indo Pacific. But what's also important is to be able to stand up for your values and that's what we were able to do when in government. 

Tim Gilbert: Finally, you do have a bit of wind in your sails at the moment because we looked at a poll earlier in the week, Peter Dutton ahead as preferred prime minister. You've been in this caper for a while. You've got to make the most of those times. How do you see that?

Paul Fletcher: Well, my assessment would be that after two years people are observing that Mister Albanese is weak and indecisive. They're observing that we have serious challenges as a nation, a cost-of-living crisis. We have an energy affordability crisis. We have increasing concerns about the reliability and stability of the energy grid. Of course we have challenging global security circumstances. We have Labor's failure again on border protection, the hopelessness of Andrew Giles and Claire O'Neill.

And people are comparing that to Peter Dutton, who's a known quantity, he's a strong, decisive leader.

And what he's demonstrated this week is that he has a clear vision for Australia, including a vision of how we have affordable and abundant and emissions free energy.

Tim Gilbert: Certainly growing as a retail politician, that's just my anecdotal observation, but it's going to be interesting to watch.  Just quickly overseas. Did you see the Fox poll? Joe Biden, two points ahead. That's interesting. I wonder whether that conviction is starting to play in the US?

Paul Fletcher: You were kind enough to say, I've been in this game a while, and one of the things I've learned over the last eight plus years is commenting on or pretending you've got any insight on American politics is a mugs game for Australian politicians.

Tim Gilbert: It is a soap opera, but I just had to chuck that in. Look, I know you're busy. You were out last night, all weekend. You're missing your son's rugby, and I know that you love to be there like I do. So all the best.