MEMORY MELTDOWN BY PETER LINDSAY - DENIES HE SUPPORTED NUCLEAR POWER IN THE NORTH

Member for Herbert Peter Lindsay’s face should be glowing redder than Chernobyl with embarrassment today after he denied ever wanting nuclear power for Townsville, Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland Craig Wallace said today.

ALP candidate for Herbert George Colbran today revealed Mr Lindsay privately told him three months ago that he (Mr Lindsay) supported a nuclear power station in Townsville.

However, in an ABC News report today, Mr Lindsay denied he had ever said nuclear power was the way forward for Townsville.

The public record shows Mr Lindsay has had a memory meltdown on the issue:

• Townsville Bulletin, p9, 23/8/07 – Mr Lindsay said he had made his position clear to the community – you can’t rule out nuclear energy. “It’s a silly proposition to rule it out now,” Mr Lindsay said. He argued there were more than 400 nuclear power stations running in the world “perfectly safely”.
• Townsville Bulletin, p22, 3/3/07 – “Labor’s policy to rule out a major potential solution to global warming is short-sighted and cynical,” Mr Lindsay said. … “I am surprised that Craig Wallace has completely ruled out nuclear energy, without even considering a genuine community debate on the issue.”
• WIN News, 9/2/07, 6.01pm – “Nuclear energy is the only viable baseload form of energy that’s available.”

Mr Wallace said Peter Lindsay was trying to hide his plans for nuclear power stations in the North to avoid scaring voters during the election campaign.

“However, nuclear leopards don’t change their spots - Peter Lindsay immediately would begin pushing for nukes in the North again if he was re-elected.”

Media inquiries: Paul Childs, Craig Wallace’s office, on 0407 131 654.