Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories - Shadow Minister for Regional Communications- Transcript - Interview Sky News Regional - 13 June 25

DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES
SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

TRANSCRIPT

TOPICS:  Air India Flight AI171 crash tragedy – Australia-U.S. relations – AUKUS - Nuclear Energy – Uranium – Victorian energy resources

SEAL

Well, joining us live is Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Dr Anne Webster, thank you so much, Dr Webster, for joining us. It's just tragic incident - of course, we are continuing to bring our viewers the updated information. The investigation that you're hearing is certainly unfolding, but unbelievable: but incredible, that one survivor is there and at this stage doing OK.

WEBSTER

It's extraordinary, I mean the fellow sitting in row 11 seat A managed to get out of the plane and walk away - limping, apparently. It's an extraordinary outcome in … so many lives lost, and we've got to remember the 50 bystanders, those who were -obviously - underneath the plane as it exploded, who lost their lives. It's a tragedy beyond belief and hopefully they can find the reason why because everyone who travels by plane would like to be assured that it's not something that could happen on any other Dreamliner.

SEAL

Yeah, absolutely. Well, let's talk about some other news and the Prime Minister has yet to secure a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. He's preparing to fly to overseas for a six-day trip. Big topics on the cards, defence, AI, tariffs. What would you like to hear come out of this potential conversation?

WEBSTER

Well, I'd like to know that the Prime Minister is representing the interests of Australia and succeeds in brokering the deal - because that's how Trump works - he brokers the deal that will see Australia step forward and move into the future and AI data centres. Certainly are that fourth industrial technological revolution, if you like, and we've got to have that conversation that will see us move forward. It is connected to nuclear. It is connected to AUKUS because obviously AUKUS runs by nuclear power. So, we need wins on the ground in Australia for Australians and for our future and we need leadership and my hope is that Anthony Albanese can secure what Australia needs.

SEAL

And if we look at our exports and, you know, rare minerals and uranium for example and what we're seeing over the world and yesterday, the World Bank said that they're ending a ban on nuclear energy. Electricity demand is expected to more than double by 2035, they're reporting, and U.S. President Trump is quadrupling their nuclear capability and for civil use.  We can export uranium. We are yet to, you know, lift some of the bans that we can export across parts of Australia, but we have huge amounts of that - that could be a potential bargaining power, so to speak, but also rare minerals, whether it's exporting or having it. Here, that conversation, of course, is going to continue, but are we being left behind? I guess is the big question in terms of how much energy is going to be needed with AI?

WEBSTER

Absolutely. That is the greatest fear that I have. Australia is incredibly rich with resources, as you say, whether it's uranium, whether it's gas, whether it's coal. And yet we've got these bans and the moratorium on nuclear. That means that we can ship it overseas - uranium overseas - we have the third wealthiest pool, if you like, of uranium in the ground, we export 9 per cent. We can do so much better. And we can utilise it in Australia for our own energy needs.  The fact is that everybody's bills are going up by the by the month and we are still sitting in a place where nothing is changing  - it’s really incredibly sad. It's good to see the World Bank has repealed its ban on funding nuclear projects and uranium, but they're still cautious about gas. I honestly don't know how these people think. And in Victoria, we see that Victoria has used 13 per cent of its gas allocation for the year in just three days. This is not a good story and firm and courageous decisions need to be made by the current governments to bring Australia up to speed.

SEAL

Well, yes, it's certainly something that we're going to have to watch very closely in terms of those negotiations, of course, you know, beef exports and many more, but we've run out of time. We'll get you on once again very soon. Dr Anne Webster. Great to see you. Thank you so much.

WEBSTER

Thanks Jaynie.

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