Peter FitzSimons has called out a young Aussie teen for campaigning for nuclear energy.
Year 11 Brisbane boy William Shackel, 16, has drawn national publicity in recent months with his Nuclear for Australia campaign group.
Nuclear for Australia is an independent, non-registered information campaign that advocates for the ban on nuclear energy in Australia to be lifted.
William posted a video on social media on Sunday documenting a trip to Canberra, where he is hoping to present a petition to parliament.
FitzSimons praised the young activist’s passion but claimed it had been ‘misplaced’ as he addressed the video in a Twitter post on Monday.
Peter FitzSimon praised the young activist’s passion but said it was ‘misplaced’
‘Onya for your passion, young man, as misplaced as it is. I stand to be corrected, but is nuclear energy not most expensive to produce?’ he wrote.
‘Why do that, when renewables are blooming, and cheap? Takes 10 years to build? ANYONE out there, who would welcome big or mini-reactor nearby?’
William outlined his support for nuclear power in an interview last Tuesday.
‘Nuclear is a really unique solution because unlike fossil fuels, nuclear is safe and it is clean,’ he told 6 News.
‘Unlike renewables, it is reliable and that’s really, really important.
‘So that’s why I support nuclear energy because I do think it’s the solution that Australia really needs.’
More than 30 countries worldwide are effectively using nuclear energy, with nuclear reactors in the United States providing 20 per cent of electricity needs.
Despite being emissions free, nuclear power has been banned in Australia since 1998 under Commonwealth laws.
The Liberals are considering introducing it but Labor remains opposed, insisting that solar, wind and hydro-electric power are cheaper and faster forms of low emissions energy.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to almost halve Australia’s emissions by 2030 hoping to drop it by 43 per cent from levels recorded in 2005.
Nationals MP David Gillespie claimed Australia would have ‘no chance’ of reaching net zero if the country did not embrace nuclear power.
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‘Overreliance on renewables has huge consequences, it makes energy very expensive,’ he told Sky News on Monday.
Labor also wants to increase the share of renewables in Australia’s National Electricity Market to 82 per cent, up from about a third today.
William Shackel, 16, posted a video on social media on Sunday documenting a trip to Canberra, where he is hoping to present a petition arguing for the use of nuclear power to parliament
But Mr Albanese wants to achieve these aims by expanding solar, wind and hydro power without needing nuclear.
Key National Party figures such as former leader Barnaby Joyce and leader David Littleproud have been vocal about the benefits of nuclear power.
Peter Dutton also advocated for ‘small-scale nuclear power’ in his recent response to the federal budget.
Earlier this year, 2GB host Ben Fordham called on Australia to embrace nuclear power in March.
He said Australia is either ‘too timid or too stupid’ to embrace it and now was the time to reconsider nuclear energy as the government acquires nuclear submarines.
The 2GB radio host said Australia was ‘stuck in the dark ages’ when it came to nuclear power but that harnessing the power source would be a ‘game-changer’.
‘I wonder if the nuclear subs will provide that catalyst,’ he said.
Fordham made the comment after the landmark AUKUS security arrangement was announced, which will see Australia command a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
Canberra will acquire three US Virginia-class nuclear submarines as a stop-gap from 2033 before a new-generation hybrid sub comes into production in a bid to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
