Nationals senator says Coalition introduced nuclear as a political fix

Video has emerged of Nationals senator Matt Canavan labelling his party's nuclear policy a "political fix" and conceding it is not the cheapest form of power, as a colleague quits the party over its approach to climate change.

Senator Canavan told a podcast in August that his party was "not serious" about nuclear power being a solution to high energy costs. 

"Nuclear is not going to cut it. I mean, we're as guilty of this too — we're not serious. We're latching onto nuclear," Senator Canavan told the National Conservative Institute podcast.

"I fully support getting the ban [lifted], we've got a bill in the Senate to get rid of it. We should build some nuclear power stations. They'll help, they'll help our system.

"But we're latching on to it as a silver bullet, as a panacea because it fixes a political issue for us, that it's low-emission and it's reliable. But it ain't the cheapest form of power."

Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen leapt on the comments, saying it revealed a divide within the Coalition.

"I don't agree with much Matt Canavan says. But I do acknowledge he's honest on this occasion," Mr Bowen said.

"Canavan admits the Coalition is willing to impose higher costs on Australians with the most expensive form of energy just to 'fix a political problem' for Peter Dutton's divided party room."

In a statement, Senator Canavan told the ABC he had consistently over years said that a net zero approach was "not a serious policy" for the country.

"Both sides of politics are guilty of propagating the fairy tale that net zero emissions will lower energy prices," he said.

"I am one of the few voices saying that we need all types of power to maintain a modern industrial and prosperous economy — that includes coal, gas, nuclear and renewables.

"Chris Bowen's 'all eggs in one basket' renewable energy approach is clearly failing."

Mr Canavan told the ABC he believed coal remained "the cheapest form of power ... No-one's really looking at the fact that we need all types of power to keep things going, to keep the lights on.

"And I've been saying for a long time, why don't we just build a couple of coal-fired power stations?

"That's not going to blow the planet up, clearly, not when China's building two a week at the moment, but it may just save thousands of manufacturing jobs."

He added nuclear "can also play a role," but would not be enough on its own to maintain heavy industries, such as aluminium smelting and refining.

"I think what all political parties right now are doing, including ourselves and the Labor Party, is they're designing energy policies based on focus groups."

The video emerged as Senator Canavan's colleague Keith Pitt announced he would not return to contest the federal election in 2025.

Nationals MP for Hinkler Keith Pitt has decided to call it a day. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Morrison-era minister Mr Pitt fired a parting shot at his party as he announced the decision, saying "the bucket of frustration has now tipped over for me".

"There are some substantial policy decisions that have been taken that I disagree with," Mr Pitt said at a press conference.

This morning Mr Pitt told The Australian the commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 "and subsequent green policies that have to be paid for" was hurting regional communities "while there is literally zero impact on the temperature of the planet".

He criticised Nationals leader David Littleproud, suggesting he was allowing the party to be led by the Liberals.

He did not repeat those comments at his press conference.

Responding to Mr Pitt's decision to quit, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Mr Pitt had made a great contribution to parliament.

"He is an incredibly smart guy, he's frustrated with being on the backbench, I understand that," he told Channel Nine.

"He's had a job offer in the private sector and he's going to take that."

Keith Pitt claimed Nationals leader David Littleproud was being led by Liberal leader Peter Dutton. (ABC News: Luke Stephenson)

Nationals leader David Littleproud wished the former resources minister well in a three-line statement.

"The Nationals wish Keith all the best in his new endeavours," he said.

"Keith has been part of The Nationals party room this term, that was the first to lead the 'No' case against the Voice, the first party room to lock in divestiture as Coalition policy, locked the Coalition into a regulated vaping model and the first to lead the Coalition to adopt nuclear energy.

"The Nationals have set the national agenda and been loud in protecting regional Australia against Labor policy in opposition and will continue to, as part of the next Coalition government."

Mr Pitt served as resources and water minister under former prime minister Scott Morrison.

His time in that role became scandal when it was revealed Mr Morrison had also secretly sworn himself into the portfolio, and used emergency powers to overrule a decision Mr Pitt had made on approvals to a controversial gas project near Newcastle.

Mr Pitt has increasingly become an outside voice on climate change within the Coalition since the Morrison government.

Several of his colleagues who share his scepticism like Gerard Rennick, George Christensen and Craig Kelly have either left parliament or quit the party.

The Coalition has grappled with the issue of climate change for more than a decade, and internal fighting on climate policy has seen knives drawn more than once: first when Malcolm Turnbull rolled Tony Abbott to become Liberal leader, and later when Scott Morrison replaced Malcolm Turnbull over his proposed "National Energy Guarantee".

And it has been a source of factional tensions within the Nationals that has seen its leadership change hands multiple times between Barnaby Joyce, Michael McCormack and now-leader David Littleproud.

The junior Coalition partner was finally brought onside to support an international goal for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 under Mr Joyce in a 2021 deal with Mr Morrison.

Despite that, several Nationals MPs have openly expressed scepticism of that goal, including Mr Joyce himself.

Mr Pitt said today he was happy to stand for his beliefs, even if his party was changing.

"I'm happy to be a lone voice," Mr Pitt said.

"The thing … others like about me is when they go to bed on a Friday and get up on a Monday I'm still standing in the same position with the grass growing between my toes. So I like to think I haven't shifted, I still have very fundamental views about what's right and decisions based on fact.

"If you look at what's happening around the world and the actual facts on this … the biggest producer of oil in the world is the United States … China's emissions are increasing. And yet it is Australians who have to pay the highest price."

But the Queenslander did not repeat criticisms of his party's leader, after claiming to The Australian Mr Littleproud was being led by the Liberal Party and had the wrong priorities.

Mr Pitt insisted he was not quitting over a personality dispute, and that he endorsed the Coalition's pursuit of nuclear power.

"The next election will be fought on cost of living. It is that easy. The nuclear position is a bold one to take, and if you want to win from opposition you have to be bold.

"And the alternative is a lot more expensive."

The Coalition's claim that building seven nuclear power plants over the coming decades as an alternative to more wind and solar power is, however, heavily contested.

Modelling of the party's plan released last week has been criticised for several gaps in its analysis, and a report by the national science institute, the CSIRO, suggests nuclear generation will cost twice as much as renewables, even accounting for its longer life span.

The opposition claims those costs would be made up by having to spend less on transmission.

Delivering what may be some of his final comments as an MP, Mr Pitt reflected on his political career as bittersweet, but said he was proud of the work his team had done.

"It's been a very long 11 years for me but an even longer 11 years for them, and they take the highs and the lows of politics just as I do," he said.

"I've always had a view that I can always make more money, but I can't make more time.

"Unfortunately Canberra is literally the weirdest place I have ever worked."