Interviewer: Wayne Swan thanks for your time. Firstly on the uranium vote this afternoon, are you confident which way it will go?
SWAN: There’ll be strong support for Kevin Rudd out there. There are passionate views held in our party… (inaudible).
Interviewer: While Labor is somewhat divided over uranium mining, John Howard is saying that he has this future vision for nuclear power. Does Labor risk looking like the ones who are stuck in the past?
SWAN: Not in the least. This is John Howard at his tricky best. John Howard knows that gas and clean coal are the future for energy for Australia. He knows that nuclear power is not economic, nor is it desirable. Every Labor Party conference John Howard comes out with some distraction. That’s why we call him the doyen of distraction.
Interviewer: So it’s just a stunt?
SWAN: It’s just a stunt. It’s playing politics with Australia’s energy security. There are serious matters here. He’s sat on his hands for eleven years on dangerous climate change. Now he expects people to believe he’s got a new plan to deliver power from nuclear energy in a couple of year.
Interviewer: Nonetheless nuclear power is seen as a far cleaner source of energy than coal. Why shouldn’t it be considered?
SWAN: Because it’s not economic for this country. Nor is it desirable. We have enormous reserves of gas and coal. (Inaudible). He knows that – he’s just playing politics.
Interviewer: Back on Labor’s position on uranium mining. If the Party now adopts a policy of open-slather uranium mining in Australia, where does that leave the political left in Australia? Are you going to lose votes to the greens here?
SWAN: No I don’t believe so. (Inaudible). There are countries in the world that do require it, but we don’t require it. We can export it to the world, because some countries do (require it). But what we must ensure is very stringent safeguards. That’s where the issue really lies.
Interviewer: So essentially you’re saying it’s OK to dig the stuff up, but not use it in Australia?
SWAN: It’s not desirable, nor is it economic for Australia to have a nuclear industry. We don’t have nuclear power plants here, nor do we want nuclear power plants. John Howard’s the one who wants 25 nuclear power plants.
Some countries have no choice. We have a choice and our choice is not to have a nuclear power industry in this country, because we do have abundant supplies…
Interviewer: It sounds to me from your comments that your only argument for nuclear power now is an economic one?
SWAN: Well certainly from my point of view. (Inaudible) There are many other delegates who will pursue the safeguards that are required. (Inaudible).
Interviewer: For you then if the economic argument can be addressed, can be made more economic – a carbon tax is introduced, or a carbon trading scheme…
SWAN: There is no scenario even if you look at Mr Howard’s own reports that show nuclear power is economic. (Inaudible).
Interviewer: You’ve been busy here at the conference wooing the business community. You’ve had a record turnout of business delegates. Are they yet won over on Labor’s IR plans?
SWAN: There are various views on our industrial relations alternatives … (inaudible).
Interviewer: So you’ve still got quite a bit of work to do on that front?
SWAN: Well we don’t expect everybody here to agree. But when it comes to our approach to infrastructure, our approach to education and skills, when it comes to our approach to productivity, there’s a lot of people who have a lot in common with Labor’s future agenda.
Interviewer: As for Kevin Rudd’s speech yesterday, there’s been mixed reviews of how he went. Politically what will this now do for the Labor campaign? Is it now campaign on?
SWAN: I thought it was an excellent speech. He put a comprehensive case for change, and the positive Labor alternative. I think it was respectful. I think it was intelligent. I think it was forward-looking. I thought it was a terrific speech.
(20min delay)