The Rudd government has come out swinging against coalition suggestions to resurrect the debate on nuclear power, accusing the coalition of not being clear with the Australian people.
The attack came after Liberal frontbencher Ian Macfarlane has released details of a speech he will give in Brisbane tonight, saying if Australia is serious about reducing global greenhouse emissions it cannot ignore the nuclear option.
Ms Climate Change Minister Penny Wong wants Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson to say where exactly he stands in the nuclear debate.
Mr Nelson says we need more rational discussion and a less emotive debate on the issue.
"Unfortunately the Labor party can't even agree to dig uranium out of the ground and sell it to the rest of the world," he told reporters.
"We've had the Labor party and (Prime Minister Kevin) Rudd for some ridiculously stupid reason refusing to sell uranium to India to help its domestic nuclear power industry.
"My view is we will need both sides of politics - that's the Labor, the Liberal and National parties - to jointly support the development of a nuclear power industry.
"We need more rational discussion about nuclear power in Australia and much less of the emotive, political debate we've had in the last few years."
