Little reaction to nuclear policy on MPs’ social media
Dominic Giannini |
Coalition MPs and candidates in electorates set to host a nuclear power plant if the opposition wins government have been largely silent about the plan on social media, ahead of the election.
Coalition Leader Peter Dutton has been challenged over his decision, so far, not to visit one of his seven proposed nuclear power sites during the campaign as the May 3 vote looms.
Nationals Leader David Littleproud defended the coalition leadership’s absence at the proposed sites, arguing “there’s no need to go, in an election campaign, where you have already won the votes”.
“We have already won the social licence in those seven communities, our polling clearly shows that,” he told the National Press Club last week.
Analysis of Facebook advertising spending data shows no money has been spent promoting the transition to nuclear power in the election campaign, despite the coalition making the technology a cornerstone of its energy policy.
Turning old coal-fired power plants into nuclear ones will help keep jobs in the region as workers transition as well, the coalition says.
The plants are slated for five coalition seats – O’Connor in Western Australia, Gippsland in Victoria, Grey in South Australia, Flynn and Maranoa in Queensland and the Labor seats of Hunter and Calare in NSW.
In the month to April 24, coalition MPs Rick Wilson in O’Connor spent $7500, Colin Boyce in Flynn $12,900, Tom Venning in Grey $5500, Darren Chester in Gippsland $3300, and Mr Littleproud in Maranoa $766 on advertising on the platform.
Nationals candidates Sam Farraway spent $17,800 in Calare and Sue Gilroy $7200 in Hunter.
A review of Facebook posts also shows mentions of the plants have been largely absent from their accounts, with Mr Littleproud making a handful of posts as one of the policy’s staunchest supporters.
Their posts overwhelmingly focus on local funding announcements, the coalition’s cut to the fuel excise and a tax rebate of up to $1200 and attacking Labor over its handling of the economy.
None mentioned the nuclear sites or regional jobs stemming from transitioning to the industry, but they did post about increasing gas supply to bring energy prices down.
Coalition MPs and candidates in the seven electorates have also failed to post about any of the local sites, despite visiting a few of the areas.
Mr Wilson posted about being “treated to a whistlestop tour” of the Collie Railway Station Group heritage museum and cafe on April 23.
He was also in Collie on April 14 to hand deliver a signed book of Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s memoir to a local called Christine after she won his online raffle.
Federal accounts for the Nationals and Liberal parties, including their Liberal-National Party offshoot in Queensland, have also been mostly silent on the policy during the campaign, with a handful of posts promoting the policy.
This compared to a saturation of their petrol and tax policies, although one coalition source noted the reaction to nuclear in those seats was positive but wasn’t a key vote driver and so money was instead being spend on promoting immediate cost of living relief policies.
The NSW Nationals Facebook page failed to mention nuclear under its “cheaper energy” header on one post, but did reference it as part of a balanced energy mix in a second.
Mr Dutton has made a habit of donning hi-vis gear and visiting manufacturing sites to spruik his policy to pump more gas into the system as an interim measure to bring power prices down throughout the campaign.
Conversely, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made a habit of taunting the opposition on nuclear, including for not standing up at a battery facility in Collie near a proposed nuclear plant to spruik the transition to renewables.
Clean energy, under Labor, would also bring jobs to the regions, he argues.
AAP
