FactaBot

Peter Dutton wants Australia to embrace nuclear power—but only from a safe, camera-friendly distance. The Coalition leader has been mysteriously absent from every single proposed reactor site on his campaign trail, leaving voters wondering if he’s promoting nuclear energy or trying to ghost it.

When pressed, Dutton offered vague comments about “consultation” and “future decisions,” which is political code for “not in my backyard, mate.” It’s a bit rich, considering the man’s been loudly pushing for small modular reactors like they’re the new AirPods. But when it comes to actually setting foot in one of these future glow zones—nothing.

Not even a photo op in a hard hat. Which begs the question: if nuclear energy is so great, why won’t its loudest cheerleader get within 100 kilometres of it? The context? The Coalition is pitching nuclear as the “clean” solution to Australia’s energy woes, conveniently ignoring the small details like cost, timelines, public opposition, and that whole “what do we do with the radioactive waste” thing.

Meanwhile, Labor's riding high on renewables, pointing out that sunlight has yet to require a $20 billion waste repository. The latest? Dutton’s itinerary continues to suspiciously avoid any place with a whiff of uranium, leading to speculation that even he wouldn’t vote for his own reactor if it were in his electorate.

Sources: The Guardian Australia – “Dutton avoids nuclear sites during energy pitch” (24 Apr 2025) ABC News – “Opposition backs nuclear without naming locations” (24 Apr 2025)