Fed: Rudd attacks Howard's plan to go nuclear

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2007
Fed: Rudd attacks Howard's plan to go nuclear

SYDNEY, April 28 AAP - Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has attacked the federal government's
plan to set up a nuclear power industry, saying Australia should instead be developing
groundbreaking renewable energy techniques.

Prime Minister John Howard today outlined plans to remove all excessive restrictions
on mining, processing and exporting Australian uranium as a possible step toward domestic
nuclear power generation.

Mr Howard said a nuclear industry was needed to help combat the challenges of climate change.

But Mr Rudd said Australia should instead introduce carbon targets, a national emissions
trading scheme, increase mandatory renewable energy targets, boost solar power and ratify
the Kyoto protocol.

"These then, are the raft of measures which any credible government of this country
would have done, enacted, implemented and been active on both nationally and internationally
were we serious about this challenge," Mr Rudd told Labor's national conference in Sydney.

"But instead Mr Howard has gone the 25 nuclear reactor way. That's his solution for the future."

Mr Rudd likened Mr Howard's plan to the schemes of cartoon character Montgomery Burns
and his fictional Springfield nuclear power plant in the TV animation hit The Simpsons.

"It's the Montgomery Burns solution for Australia's future climate change challenge," he said.

"And if you think of the nuclear safety record out there at Smithfield (sic) with Homer
Simpson in charge, be afraid, be very afraid.

"Does this represent any way of dealing with the real challenge of global greenhouse
gas emissions and the answer against any level of logic is no.

"Because if we go through the analysis against one piece of evidence after another
the logic underpinning Mr Howard's remanence policy today is ... very thin indeed."

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KEYWORD: NUCLEAR RUDD

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