Activists are spending big on pro-nuclear ads, but it’s Dutton’s silence that has Labor’s attention

O’Brien fired back, saying Bowen – a key target of conservative ire – was dodging debates in regional towns where energy was a top issue.

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“Last election, Labor was advertising their promise of a $275 reduction in household power bills, but since families are now paying up to $1300 more than promised, they’ll be running flashy ads on a different set of false promises this time,” O’Brien said.

“It says a lot about Labor’s priorities when their focus is on advertisements instead of doing the heavy lifting on energy policy.”

The long-running clash over energy sources is pivotal in the battle over cost of living that the Resolve Political Monitor shows is by far voters’ top concern. The survey shows the Coalition holds a 10-point lead over Labor on the issue of energy, as bills have risen despite a core Labor pledge from the last election to cut bills by $275.

Resolve’s December survey shows 21 per cent of voters favoured government subsidies for nuclear energy, while 45 per cent of voters backed subsidies for rooftop solar and 34 per cent supported subsidies for home batteries.

Despite the opposition’s paltry marketing of nuclear power, third-party activist groups are spending big on pro-nuclear advertising to influence the federal election.

Businessman Dick Smith is a prominent campaigner. He has tipped more than $90,000 into advertising the benefits of nuclear energy and donated more than $80,000 to the Nuclear for Australia lobby group run by 18-year-old Will Shackel.

Another group, Mums for Nuclear, is also running paid ads. It is unclear who is donating to the outfit, but its posts include links to Smith’s website. The group has been contacted for comment.

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A new group of Liberal voters is campaigning for the opposition to ditch its nuclear policy, warning it is set to cost the party the election.

Spokesman for the Liberals Against Nuclear group, Andrew Gregson, is a former Tasmanian Liberal director and candidate. He declined to detail the size of the group’s membership or financial backers but said it would draw on “considerable” funding.

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