The Albanese Government's interim report on its nuclear energy inquiry is nothing more than a sham—a politically motivated stunt designed to mislead Australians, cover up Anthony Albanese and Chris Bowen's failing energy plan, and to distract from skyrocketing power prices on the eve of an election.

Labor's so-called inquiry was rigged from the start. Stacked with government-picked members and scoped to deliver a predetermined outcome, it was never about facts—it was about propping up Labor's failing energy fantasy.

Anthony Albanese promised Australians their power bills would be $275 lower, but families and businesses are paying up to $1000 more than Labor promised. Australians now pay among the highest electricity prices in the world, far higher than nations which have nuclear in the mix. 

Labor has never confirmed the real cost of its renewables-only plan through to 2050. Not even the market operator could advise the inquiry on the total system cost of Labor's plan which would horrify households and businesses which see prices soaring. 

No evidence was presented in the inquiry to challenge the independent modelling of Frontier Economics which revealed a price tag of at least $642 billion for Labor's plan — and that's before factoring in billions more for transmission lines, land acquisitions, and storage. 

The inquiry exposed the depth of anger in regional Australia resulting from Labor steamrolling local communities in its desperate rush to roll out 22,000 solar panels a day, 40 wind turbines a month and up to 28,000 kilometers of transmission lines. 

The truth? Independent analysis by Frontier Economics confirms the Coalition's plan for a balanced energy mix including renewables, gas and nuclear is 44% cheaper than Labor's all-eggs-in-one-basket renewables-only plan. Labor's report is salient on Frontier's work.

Labor's report is politically motivated and ignores the facts on nuclear. Facts that the rest of the world have embraced.

While Labor feeds Australians a steady diet of lies, the rest of the world is surging ahead with nuclear. While nations pledge to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050 and companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Oracle are pouring billions into nuclear energy to power AI and data centers, Australia sits idle. 

Under Anthony Albanese, Australia is now the only G20 nation not using nuclear energy or moving in that direction —a global embarrassment caused by Labor's ideological obsession.

Australian and international expert witnesses overwhelmingly agreed that nuclear energy:

• will bring energy prices down as part of a balanced energy mix;
• is amongst the world's safest technologies to generate electricity;
• can be delivered in Australia on time and on budget;
• can usher in a new era of economic prosperity for regional communities; and
• is essential if Australia is to replace coal and reach net zero by 2050.

Rather than engaging in an honest debate, Labor resorted to outright lies — peddling the baseless claims that nuclear power will cost $600 billion, five times more than the independently modelled cost of up to $120 billion and that it will contribute only 4% to the electricity grid when the real number is 38% by 2050. 

Labor's bogus figures and scare campaigns are complete fabrications—deliberate misinformation designed to scare Australians into submission. 

Communities which would host modern nuclear power plants under the Coalition's plan showed a high degree of energy-IQ during public hearings. Most local leaders were open-minded to the possibility of nuclear energy, with many particularly enthusiastic about the economic benefits of a coal-to-nuclear plan for local workers and the prospect of a regional deal and integrated economic development zone which form part of the Coalition's policy. 

The Coalition's plan for a comprehensive community engagement programme lasting up to two-and-half years was welcomed almost unanimously, with many witnesses comparing this approach to broken community engagement processes for Labor's renewables-only rollout.

Labor's failure to even consider nuclear energy puts Australia at odds with its AUKUS allies, who are making nuclear a cornerstone of their energy, defense and climate strategies.

While countries like the US, UK, and Canada are leveraging nuclear to meet their net-zero targets and ensure energy security, Labor's ideological obstruction leaves Australia isolated, cut off from key global trends. 

From our uranium reserves, to our existing nuclear reactor in Sydney and to the AUKUS agreement for nuclear submarines, Australia already is a nuclear nation and yet Labor continues to dismiss nuclear energy, depriving us of an opportunity to tap into a reliable, clean energy source to support our economic growth and guarantee our energy security for the future.

Labor doesn't care about affordability. They don't care about reliability. They don't care about the science. They only care about protecting their political narrative of a renewables-only fantasy —no matter the cost to Australian families and businesses.

The Coalition is committed to a common-sense energy future that delivers cheap, clean and consistent energy with zero-emissions nuclear energy working with renewables and gas to keep the lights on and costs down as part of a balanced energy mix.

The Coalition fully rejects the findings of Labor's political stunt.

Australia has already had four prior inquiries or royal commissions look at nuclear power since 2006. The mounting body of evidence shows that nuclear power is a practical, globally proven way of reducing electricity sector emissions, while providing price stability and 24/7 baseload power, and it should be included in Australia's energy mix.

Australians deserve better. If Australia is to reach net-zero by 2050 at the lowest cost, we need nuclear in the mix. 

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Ted O'Brien is Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy and the Liberal member for Fairfax