Right: the handshake that sealed an agreement between Senator Bob Brown's Greens and the Labor government. Any move by the Gillard government to introduce nuclear power would probably result in a swift removal of Greens support in Parliament.
Further implications
Further implications
The immediate prospect of nuclear power generation capacity being developed within Australia is remote.
Despite some dispute within its ranks, the Labor Party remains opposed to its use. ;The issue is scheduled for debate at the next Labor federal conference; however, the Fukushima nuclear disaster will probably have reduced the enthusiasm of those who support the development of nuclear power in Australia. Further, the Greens, upon whose support the Gillard Labor government depends, are adamantly opposed to nuclear power generation. ;
The Coalition's position on the question has vacillated. ;As late as 2010 prominent Liberals were espousing nuclear power generation for Australia and the leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, was gleefully anticipating the next Labor federal conference at which he anticipated that divisions within the Labor Party on the nuclear question would see it tear itself apart. The need for unity within the minority government lead by Labor is now so great, however, that such public disputes seem unlikely, whatever the private beliefs of individual party members.
Similarly, the deputy leader of the Opposition, Julia Bishop, has now become far more circumspect in her publicly expressed attitude to nuclear power generation for Australia. Previously a quite outspoken proponent of nuclear power generation for Australia, Ms Bishop is now stating that it is not her Party's policy to develop a nuclear power capacity within this country.
Were the Labor Party to lose the next federal election, the nature of the debate would shift dramatically. ;There are still key elements within the Coalition that support nuclear power and the growing imperative, political and economic, to reduce Australia's green house gas emissions may make nuclear power seem more electorally attractive. ;In addition, a Coalition government is highly unlikely to be dependent on a power sharing arrangement with the Greens.
However, nuclear power plants have a long lead-in period. ;It is estimated that it would take ten years before a major nuclear power plant would be operational within Australia, while the country would need some 50 of these reactors to supply the bulk of its electricity needs. ;This would require a massive level of investment and have an even longer lead-in time. ;Ziggy Switkowski has estimated that nuclear reactors could not be expected in Australia in such numbers until 2050. ;In the meantime much will depend on the progress which is made in the viable development and exploitation of renewable power sources.