2GB’s Ben Fordham calls on Australia to embrace nuclear power

Ben Fordham says Australia is ‘too timid or too stupid’ to embrace nuclear power, and now is the time to rethink nuclear power as the government acquires nuclear submarines.

The 2GB radio presenter said Australia was ‘stuck in the middle ages’ when it came to nuclear power, but harnessing the power source would be a ‘game-changer’.

“I wonder if the nuclear submarines will provide that catalyst,” he said Wednesday.

“God knows we’ve let the opportunity slip through our fingers so many times. The rest of the world has no problem with nuclear power.

‘But in Australia we are stuck in the Middle Ages. We have some of the largest reserves of uranium on planet Earth, but we’re too shy or too stupid to touch it.’

More than 30 countries around the world make effective use of nuclear power, with nuclear reactors in the United States supplying 20 percent of its electricity needs.

“But apparently our political leaders in Australia know better,” Fordham continued.

“We have to think about the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years. Nuclear power requires a lot of investment. I’m not pretending it’s cheap.

‘But neither do nuclear submarines. The argument for the subs is that they will protect us in the long run, even if they are unavailable in the short term.

“So why should our approach to nuclear power be any different?”

Fordham made the comment after the groundbreaking AUKUS security deal was announced, which will see Australia command a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.

Canberra will procure three US Virginia-class nuclear submarines from 2033 as a stopgap before a next-generation hybrid submarine enters production in an effort to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

There is then the option to purchase two more of the US boats to protect against planned blowouts.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the deal is Australia’s largest investment in defense capabilities and will ensure the country’s security for decades to come as part of the AUKUS alliance.

“What the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have in common is more fundamental and universal than our shared history,” he said when announcing the plan at Point Loma naval base in San Diego.

“We are especially bound by our belief in a world … where peace, stability and security bring greater prosperity and greater justice to all.”

US President Joe Biden said the Indo-Pacific would be where the future of the three nations was written.

“By forging this new partnership, we are once again demonstrating how democracies can ensure our own security and prosperity, not just for us but for the whole world,” he said.

The new generation submarines will be based on the British Astute class, but integrated with a US weapon system and technology.

“Top submarines are the vanguard of US naval power,” Biden said.

“We position ourselves in the strongest possible position to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow together.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak added that the three navies would operate and maintain the boats together.

“For the first time ever, it means three fleets of submarines are working together across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to keep our oceans free, open and prosperous for decades to come,” he said.

The cost of the trilateral deal to taxpayers will be a staggering $268 to $368 billion over the next three decades.

The plan will cut $9 billion from the budget over the next four years and $50-58 billion within ten years.

However, the initial outlay will not add to Australia’s deficit, as $6 billion will be diverted from existing provisions for the canceled French submarine contract and $3 billion in defense department funds will be set aside.

Every three years, a US submarine will roll off the line for Australia before the new AUKUS class will be built at a similar rate from 2042 onwards. The sale requires approval from the US Congress.

Defense Secretary Richard Marles says he is confident there will be bipartisan support from Washington.

“The American alliance has flourished since World War II under successive governments and governments in Australia,” he said.

“There is full support across the political spectrum for the relationship with Australia and the AUKUS arrangements. So we are going into this with a lot of confidence.’

The UK will build and operate the first AUKUS submarine from the late 2030s, allowing any kinks to be ironed out before Australia gets behind the periscope.

“The risk of prototyping is being taken over by the UK,” Defense Secretary Pat Conroy said.

“We have reduced this risk and will continue to reduce risks on this project.”

Four US nuclear-powered submarines and a British ship will begin orbiting Western Australian naval bases from 2027 to boost Australia’s ability to operate its own ships in the 2030s and 2040s.

From next year there will also be more visits from US and UK nuclear submarines.

Shipbuilders in Adelaide and Western Australia will join those in America and Britain in building the new submarines, with shipyard upgrades starting this year.

Radioactive waste will be managed in Australia, which has sparked environmental protests.