Labor signs deal to support small modular reactors

Hahahahahaha

You couldn't make this shit up. Or could you?

Complete and utter hypocrisy from this mob.

Can't wait for the mental gymnastics from the alp cheersquad members and LWNJs over this one.

Albanese government signs Indo-Pacific deal supporting take-up of small modular reactors

Anthony Albanese and Trade Minister Don Farrell. Picture: Brenton Edwards

• By geoff chambers

Trade Minister Don Farrell has signed new agreements under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, which includes a co-operative work program supporting the take-up of nuclear Small Modular Reactors for participating countries.
The IPEF, which is backed by 14 countries including Australia, the US, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Fiji and the Philippines, includes agreements on a clean economy, fair economy and supply chain resilience.
Following an IPEF ministerial meeting in Singapore on Thursday, the US Department of Commerce confirmed the signing of three new co-operative work program mechanisms covering Small Modular Reactors, emissions intensity accounting and e-waste urban mining.
“The IPEF partners announced three new CWPs, including on small modular reactors (SMRs), which intends to support participating partners that are seeking to advance their understanding of SMRs, and where appropriate, introduce SMRs in their countries under the highest standards of safety, security, and safeguards,” the US Department of Commerce statement said.
“The CWP will serve as a platform for dialogue to assist the participating partners introducing SMRs in their countries to develop SMR supply chains, promote public-private partnerships, and encourage the development of the necessary infrastructure and workforce to safely and securely deploy SMRs.”
The Albanese government, led by Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, have rejected nuclear power and SMR technologies as being too expensive and not part of Labor’s plan to achieve its emissions reduction targets. Peter Dutton says nuclear energy and SMRs must be part of Australia’s energy mix.
‘Wasteful rabbit hole’: Albanese to ramp up attack on Dutton’s nuclear energy plan
Speaking at the Sky News-The Australian Economic Outlook lunch on Friday, Mr Albanese reiterated that “they’re (SMRs) not there” and while they may suit some countries, Australia must play to its natural advantages.
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas – who is close to Senator Farrell and last month travelled to the US for meetings with senior figures about the AUKUS nuclear submarines program – has called for a science-based debate around nuclear energy.
An Albanese government spokeswoman said “there are a number of examples in these types of multinational agreements which are opt-in”.
“Countries may or may not participate, based on their domestic priorities. Australia is not participating in the Small Modular Reactors Cooperative Work Program.”
Opposition trade spokesman Kevin Hogan said the agreement signed by Senator Farrell “notes IPEF partners recognise the important role that nuclear energy and civil nuclear co-operation play in ensuring energy security as well as providing affordable low-carbon energy”.
“The agreement even establishes a cooperative work program (CWP) mechanism to serve as a platform to understand and introduce small modular reactors within participating countries,” Mr Hogan said.
“What we are seeing here is Australia’s Labor government on the international stage signing an agreement that supports and acknowledges the important role nuclear energy will play in ensuring energy security and providing low-carbon energy, while continuing to engage in fear mongering tactics back home.
“The hypocrisy of this Albanese government knows no bounds.”
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt
At last year’s United Nations climate change conference in Dubai, Australia joined more than 120 countries backing a pledge to triple renewable energy by 2030 but did not back a US-led agreement supporting the tripling of nuclear capacity by 2050. The nuclear declaration was backed by countries including the US, Canada, Britain, France, and United Arab Emirates.
The White House last week released a statement outlining new steps to bolster the US domestic nuclear industry and advance the country’s goal of a carbon free electricity sector by 2035.
“Taken together, these actions represent the largest sustained push to accelerate civil nuclear deployment in the United States in nearly five decades.”
“President (Joe) Biden will continue to take steps to re-establish US leadership in the industry, including continuing to keep existing nuclear plants operational, supporting the demonstration and deployment of advanced reactor technologies, making permitting processes more efficient and effective, securing and expanding the nuclear fuel supply.”
“For decades, nuclear power has been the largest source of clean energy in the United States, accounting for 19 per cent of total energy produced last year. The industry directly employs nearly 60,000 workers in good paying jobs, maintains these jobs for decades, and supports hundreds of thousands of other workers.”
Senator Farrell also met with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on Thursday to discuss the IPEF agreement and joint US-Australia progress on reducing carbon emissions.
“They noted the high level of ambition in this area reflected in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the A Future Made in Australia agenda and recognised the importance of promoting the complementarity of these initiatives to investors and our private sectors,” Senator Farrell and Ms Raimondo said.
“The Minister and Secretary reaffirmed the importance of strengthened co-operation on economic security in their discussions on trade, trade-distorting subsidies, national security issues tied to investment flows and continuing co-operation on investment screening, unfair trade practices and unfair competition.”
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