Nuclear Waste

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (15:09): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Leader of the Government, representing the Premier, on the subject of nuclear waste.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: Members may have heard the news story this morning, broadcast on the ABC's AM radio program, which drew attention to serious conflicts of interest in the nuclear royal commission's choice of consultants to prepare the business case for a nuclear waste dump for South Australia. The report this morning identifies that two of the authors of the sole business case commissioned by the royal commission are in fact the President and the Vice President of the Association for Regional and International Underground Storage, which is the nuclear industry's own lobby group promoting underground storage of nuclear waste.

In other words, the royal commission, when facing the question of, 'Is it a good idea to take nuclear waste from other countries and store it underground?' in fact paid the people from the nuclear lobby group tasked with delivering exactly that outcome. As a result, people are not surprised at the royal commission's findings. In light of that conflict of interest that was identified this morning on the radio, my question of the Premier is: will he now ask the nuclear citizens' jury to postpone its final recommendations so that the jurors can be fully informed about these conflict of interest claims and shortcomings in the royal commission's findings?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for his question and I will pass it on to the Premier and seek a reply.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!