Are Australians ready for nuclear power? It depends who – and how – you ask. — Summary of the capital

After a decade of internal wars over climate change, a difficult process in 2021 saw the Nationals reluctantly agree Scott Morrisonthe target of net zero emissions by 2050. A few months later, the Coalition was decimated at the polls, largely because of its climate stance.

Peter DutonWednesday’s shift toward nuclear power has an obvious explanation: It’s an attempt to maintain the coalition’s uneasy truce, while making the case to the public that it has a real climate plan.

Dutton argues that there has been significant change on the issue since John Howard banned nuclear power in 1998. There is reason to believe he is thinking of young Australians, who are not scarred by memories of Chernobyl.

A 2011 Lowy Institute The survey found that 35% of respondents were “somewhat” or “strongly” in favor of nuclear power, while 62% were somewhat or strongly opposed. In 2024, these figures were reversed: 61% were for and 37% against. Support was significantly higher among 18-29 year olds than any other age group.

But when it comes to polls, the devil is in the details. Shaun Ratcliffe, director of Accent Research, cautioned that slight changes in wording can have a big impact on results. This is particularly true for issues like nuclear power, on which most Australians have “weak views”.