Dutton's atomic lie

The Opposition leader melts down before the first power plant is built

I don’t normally do two posts in a day, but I hope you will excuse me in this case.

This morning, Peter Dutton announced his alleged plans for an Australian nuclear energy industry and in so doing he has set a test for all Australian media: are they willing to do their job as a fourth estate and call this out for the nonsense it is, or they all going to play games until the next election pretending this is some sort of legitimate alternative that deserves to be taken seriously?

Dutton dressed up as flam

Phil Coorey summed up the basic proposition Dutton announced:

Peter Dutton has pledged to build seven government-owned nuclear power stations by 2050, with the first unit to be operational in a just over a decade, saying it was integral to the energy mix if Australia was to have cheap, clean and reliable power in the long term.

But then immediately fell into the trap Dutton has set. Or more accurately, immediately fell into the unthinking habits of a mainstream media that operates in terms …