Albanese to Ramp Up Attacks on Coalition’s Nuclear Policy as Election Nears
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to intensify his criticism of the Coalition’s nuclear energy proposal in the final 10 days of the federal election campaign, as Labor aims to boost its vote share and secure a majority government.
Although early forecasts suggested Labor had little chance of achieving a majority in the House of Representatives, internal party optimism has grown, particularly with improved polling in Victoria.
Nuclear power has largely remained under the radar throughout the campaign. However, Labor initially launched negative ads on the topic three weeks ago and now plans to reignite the issue based on focus group feedback collected from across Australia.
According to documents obtained by news.com.au, voters have described the Coalition’s nuclear plan as “risky”, “scary”, “far-fetched”, and “dangerous”.
“This nuclear policy will lose them the election — they clearly haven’t thought it through, and even members of Dutton’s party want him to drop it,” said one male voter from regional NSW.
Cost concerns also weigh heavily, with skepticism about the feasibility and price tag of developing a nuclear industry from scratch. One Queensland voter questioned the practicality of building nuclear reactors when Australia has never had any: “It seems like a stretch… if you look at the costs involved, it just doesn’t seem likely.”
Others echoed safety concerns, with female voters particularly wary of nuclear’s risks and its potential impact on communities.
“I’m totally against nuclear,” one woman from Queensland said. “The Liberals’ push for nuclear energy has completely turned me off.”
Labor also claimed that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has not campaigned near any of the seven proposed nuclear reactor sites in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, South Australia, or WA. An ALP review of his 50+ campaign stops found none within 50km of those locations.
Mr Dutton, however, refuted that claim, stating he had visited Bunbury and the Hunter region and argued his nuclear stance is about national interest, not political gain.
“I support nuclear because it’s the right path for the country,” he said. “We’ve listened to communities and made decisions accordingly, and we’re open to further consultation if elected.”
