Doorstop, Ballarat

JOURNALIST: Just to start, a huge announcement from the Coalition today, your reaction?

CATHERINE KING: Well, the first thing is there is absolutely no costings that have been put out with this policy at all. And you can just imagine if the Australian Labor Party, when we were in opposition, put a policy out that is costing billions and billions of dollars, what the reaction would be to start with. But we know that this is really a distraction from Peter Dutton. This is about slowing down the transition to renewables and reigniting the climate wars so that he can campaign on that in the election context. What we know is that nuclear is too slow, will be too slow for our energy transition. It is too expensive and generations will be paying not only for the infrastructure but also for the expense of the electricity it generates. And it is also too risky for this country. Peter Dutton today has failed at the first hurdle of actually putting out how this plan is costed, how he intends to deliver it, putting out seven sites. Frankly, I don't think the people of Gippsland would have been waking up this morning thinking that they were going to hear they were going to get a nuclear reactor put in their backyard. I'm pretty sure the reaction that we see down in Gippsland today outside Darren Chester's office speaks volumes about what the people of the La Trobe Valley think of this plan.

JOURNALIST: Tell me. The Prime Minister described it as a fantasy and that's been reiterated by several other industry leaders. Do you agree with that sentiment?

CATHERINE KING: Absolutely. This will never happen. Peter Dutton has no intention of actually delivering on this policy. This is all about how he can slow down renewables and the transition this country is in the middle of making, getting that investment into renewables, to make that transition. It is all about reigniting climate wars. It is not about actually delivering secure energy and for the secure energy for the transition that not only households but our manufacturing sector needs.

JOURNALIST: Now, do you think a future nuclear power industry could help the regions that have expiring power plants? We know Gippsland's an example. Do you think it would help them retain jobs and money?

CATHERINE KING: There are significant investments being made not just in the La Trobe Valley but in also areas where their economies are actually changing. And we're seeing that already. We're seeing that from the Future Made in Australia policy that the Albanese Labor Government is pursuing. Just last week I announced a consultation paper on low carbon liquid fuels which will really be generated in the regions, actually looking at how you can, from farm to bowser, actually generate sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel here in this country. That's where our future lies, is in this transition. It does not lie in the fantasy policy of nuclear reactors all the way around the country.

JOURNALIST: Now, National’s leader David Littleproud praised the plan as being a vision for regional Australia that's not covered in solar panels and wind turbines. What's your thoughts on that?

CATHERINE KING: Well, again, we've had the National Party who do not believe that climate change is actually happening and have been, frankly, in denial about this for a long period of time. The transition is happening, climate change is happening, and renewables are a really important part of that and an important part for the regions as well, including my own.

JOURNALIST: What do you think about criticism from the opposition about the Albanese Government's renewable energy plans, which, of course centre on that 82 per cent of the grid by 2030 being driven by clean energy. They argue that it will drive up power bills and destabilise the grid.

CATHERINE KING: Well, again, this is all about trying to reignite the climate wars. This is what Peter Dutton is trying to do here. We know that renewables are the cheapest form of energy. You only have to look at how people are experiencing it in their own households, with solar panels on roofs across the country, particularly in regional areas where people in many instances, are not paying anything for their electricity generated by solar.

JOURNALIST: You mentioned it before, Catherine, but do you think that the opposition's nuclear proposal by the Coalition is a smoke and daggers promise?

CATHERINE KING: I think it is absolutely a fantasy. And for the people of the La Trobe Valley, who have for generations, have generated our electricity supply, who are transitioning away from coal-fired power and are seeing a really bright future, to suddenly wake up this morning and say you're going to have a nuclear reactor in your backyard, I think is a really awful thing for the people of the La Trobe Valley.

JOURNALIST: How is the Albanese Government planning to retain those jobs and livelihoods of people in the regions where it's being phased out? Coal power.

CATHERINE KING: Yes. So, of course, coal fired power stations have been closing and we saw that, obviously, with Hazelwood, and they've been slated to close for a long period of time. We've been investing alongside the Victorian State Government in new jobs in that industry for decades, including when I was last Minister, including investments in the airports down that way as well, and really trying to look at what do we do with agribusinesses, how do we actually grow jobs in the tourism sector? Again, really important sectors for the economy down in the La Trobe Valley as well as ensuring that we have good and reliable train services down to Gippsland. We've just announced over $100 million of investment into the rail services to ensure, ensure not only that people can commute into our area for work, but that people can live and work in Gippsland and be able to continue to be able to access the services that they need.

JOURNALIST: And just finally for me in terms of where these nuclear sites are proposed, I think five out of seven Coalition held. Do you think that this will sway voters in any way?

CATHERINE KING: I think that's up to the National Party and the Coalition to go and explain to their communities how they intend to, to actually put nuclear reactors in their backyards.

JOURNALIST: Was there anything else that you wanted to add? 

CATHERINE KING: No, that’s fine.

JOURNALIST: Thank you so much.