Welcome to the very first edition of Canberra Conversations with Senator Paul Scarr, where each week we’re going to unpack what’s happening in federal politics with reason, respect and a focus on what it all means for you. Senator Paul Scarr is a thoughtful voice in the Senate and a key figure helping steer the Coalition’s recent review into climate and energy policy. With nuclear power back in the headlines and a policy reset underway behind the scenes, we’ve got a few questions to ask the good senator, Senator Paul Scarr, Welcome to The Nightline.
Senator Scarr
Thanks very much, Cheralyn. and I really like that expression you use reason and respect. I think we need a lot more of that in political discussion.
Cheralyn Darcey
We do, and that’s exactly what we’re going to have here. Look, Senator, you’ve been vocal in the Senate recently about the Coalition’s current policy review on climate and energy. Can you just walk us through why this review is happening now and what exactly triggered the timing.
Senator Scarr
This is a really important process for the Coalition to go through. We had the devastating election loss in May where the Coalition didn’t do as well, nearly as well as we would have hoped for. So I think following a result like that, we really need to take a step back, review our policies across a whole range of areas, and that includes energy and emissions reduction policy, and get the best evidence, get the best minds around the table, and consider what policy we want to adopt to take to the next election, and as part of that process, it’s so important that everyone has the opportunity to have input.
Cheralyn Darcey
So there’s a lot of public concern about safety and cost when it comes to nuclear energy. What would you say to Australians who are still unsure or hesitant about the idea?
Senator Scarr
I would say to Australians in relation to nuclear energy, please keep your mind open. Keep your minds open. Out of the 20 OECD countries, we are the only advanced industrial nation that does not use nuclear power for electricity generation. So many other countries. In addition to that 19, are going down the nuclear energy path. The technology is improving from a safety perspective, cost effectiveness perspective, every single year. So please keep your minds open. One of the risks, I think, in this is, if the rest of the world continues going down the nuclear power path, and Australia doesn’t, are we going to be left behind, and what sort of cost are we going to carry, because we haven’t continued the progression of going down adopting different technologies, including nuclear power, to meet our power needs.
Cheralyn Darcey
Paul, who is actually making up this committee, who is it comprised of?
Senator Scarr
So the committee is led by Dan Tehan, who’s one of our most senior Shadow Cabinet ministers. And I think actually, Dan’s the perfect person to lead this committee process. He’s got a great deal of experience, he’s a very practical person common sense, and he’s very highly regarded in the Coalition. And he’s going to have helping him, a policy committee group, and that, again, is going to comprise some of our most senior Shadow Cabinet members, including the Shadow Treasurer, Ted O’Brien, who, of course, we’re talking about nuclear, he was part and parcel of developing the policy we took to the last election. My dear friend Susan McDonald, fellow Senator from Queensland, who is Shadow Minister for Resources, Alex Hawke, Shadow Minister for Industry. And we know how important it is that we have electricity at an affordable rate for our industry, manufacturing sectors. Angie Bell in Environment and two shado assistant ministers, Dean Smith from WA and Andrew Wilcox from North Queensland.
Cheralyn Darcey
Sounds like quite the quite the brains trust there. But if nuclear were to be introduced, what sort of a timeline are we realistically looking at? Because that was a big one in the last election. People did not like that timeline. They felt like we’ve got problems right now with our energy, and nuclear seemed like it was right off into the horizon. So where are weat realistically, Paul?
Senator Scarr
I think that’s a fair comment. Nuclear is not the short term solution. It will take years for us to develop the nuclear power industry in this country, so we have to work out how we can draw on other power sources in the interim. I think gas has a major role to play, and this country is blessed with outstanding natural gas resources. And one of the benefits of gas, as opposed to a coal fired power station, is you can turn it on and turn it off quite quickly. So it’s a really effective power source to supplement renewable solar and wind. Because, as we know, the sun doesn’t always shine, the wind doesn’t always blow. There are limits around battery technology, but one of the really potent advantages of gas is you can quickly turn it on and turn it off. And I think one of the great tragedies, if I can use that term, over the last 20 years, is some state governments, in particular, Victoria, curtailed natural gas exploration, and we’re now in this ridiculous position where people are actually talking about us having to import liquid natural gas, and that that’s just absurd. So I think we’ve got to do a better job of exploiting the resources, taking advantage of the resources we have. And I think gas is going to play a key role in the in the short and medium term.
Cheralyn Darcey
Well, now you’ve taken us out to other resources. What about the emissions targets? Is there any consideration of updating the Coalition’s position on net zero?
Senator Scarr
So, as part of this policy review, we essentially have two guiding principles. The first is to have a stable, reliable energy grid so we get the power when we need the power. We don’t have blackouts and power failures or brown outs, and that electricity needs to be provided at an affordable rate for both households and for businesses. So that’s the first principle. The second principle is we do want to reduce emissions. We want to do our fair share in a global context of bringing emissions down, and we want to do that in a responsible, transparent way that ensures that we do our fair share. So those are really the two basic principles that are going to be guiding the policy review process, and one of them is to meet our fair share of reducing emissions. So is there going to be any public consultation or community engagement as part of this review, I think all of us as elected representatives, as senators, as members of parliament, MPs, all of us have an obligation to go out to our own communities and to get the views of all the different stakeholders In our community. Whether or not we represent regional areas, metropolitan areas, whether or not where our offices are located, in areas which depend on particular industries, on agriculture, whether or not we represent areas which might be facing challenges at the moment, with some of the renewable energy projects that are being proposed. Then in some cases, there are real issues in terms of communities being divided as to whether or not they agree with a particular wind farm project or they don’t. So I think it’s incumbent on each and every one of us, this is this is our job. This is our job to get out into the communities and to talk to people, young and old from the city in the bush and get their views as to what direction that they think we should go. As part of that process, it’s also really important that we act on the best evidence available at the current time. So in relation issues like this, people use slogans a lot and say, Oh, we got to do this, we shouldn’t do that, but we’ve got to make sure we’re using the best information available to guide our decision making process, and that’s one of the reasons why I think this review process is so important.
Cheralyn Darcey
And on that note, as well, Senator transparency absolutely vital, because that’s what we’re hearing on The Nightline. This week, we have had farmers and we have people that have amazing projects. Remount is one of them, one of the veterans support programs down in the Yass Valley. And time and time again, they come to us and they say there hasn’t been transparency. So how will voters be able to see and evaluate the coalition’s new policies ahead of the next election?
Senator Scarr
We’ll be making this as public as possible, and just on that previous point you made, Cheralyn, can I just invite any of your listeners if they’ve got concerns, and you mentioned a project there, just reach out to me. Reach out to me, and I’ll do my very best to make sure your concerns are raised and are listened to. But I think it’s absolutely vital we take the Australian people on this journey with us, that we actually go on this journey with the Australian people. So if a target is set, we need to know what the practical consequences of that target are to everyday Australians, in terms of cost, in terms of potentially projects being developed in their own regions, which can have impacts with respect to land use, planning use and the amenity of local people. There needs to be absolute transparency in relation to this process. And there are certainly been studies done in relation to some really large renewable projects, wind farms, in particular, that were introduced into communities, and there just hadn’t been the level of community engagement there should be. I’m firmly of the belief, if you’re going to build a project in a particular area, you need a social license to operate. You need the support of the local people for that project. These projects should not be dividing communities. Every project needs to have a social license. And I say that as someone who was involved in the mining industry, before I came into the Australian Parliament.
Senator Scarr
So again, I say to your listeners, reach out to me. Reach out to your elected members of parliament, to your MPs, your Senators, and give your views, raise your concerns, provide information to your elected representatives, because our job is to listen to you.
Cheralyn Darcey
Thanks a lot for joining us tonight, Senator.
Senator Scarr
Thank you. Thanks for having me.
Cheralyn Darcey
So if you’ve got a question, there you go. There’s your invitation. If you’d like Senator Scarr to answer your questions, be it about Energy or anything at all, this is Canberra Conversations. Anything that’s happening in Canberra, you can do that. I’d love to hear from you, text or email. You know how to do it, or give me a call, 13 12, 69 because your voice is part of the conversation too. And if you’d like to hear more from Senator Scarr, check out his own podcast, Canberra Conversations. You’ll find it on all major platforms. You’ve been listening to Canberra conversations with Senator Paul Scarr, part of The Nightline on 2HD Newcastle, broadcasting right across Australia on the Super Radio Network.
