Labor, unions unite against nuclear power

Labor has closed ranks to head off a political assault by the Howard Government on the party's shifting stance on nuclear energy, with union leaders backing Kim Beazley and Opposition resources spokesman Martin Ferguson declaring Australia will not embrace nuclear power.

The Opposition Leader and Mr Ferguson issued a joint statement yesterday declaring there would be "no nuclear power in Australia under a Beazley government".

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Nuclear energy has become the latest prime ministerial cause. Suddenly he's saying it is absolutely urgent we have the debate, and making it sound as though Australia stands on the brink of its nuclear power age.

Howard has promised to quickly give "form and structure" to the debate.

It might look as if the PM had an epiphany while he was in North America, where he talked nuclear with US President George Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was galvanised by high oil prices and extolled the virtues of "cleaner and greener" power.

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