Australians will decide their energy future at the next election, says the opposition leader while slamming the government’s “reckless” renewables policy and spruiking his nuclear pledge.

The stakes are higher and the vote matters more than others in recent history, Liberal leader Peter Dutton has said in an address to party officials.

“The next election will not only define the next political term, it will define the future and fate of this nation,” he said on Saturday.

Voters will have to choose the path they want to take including the nation’s energy future amid soaring power costs, Mr Dutton said.

“A choice between Labor’s reckless renewables-only policy that will see the energy bills of Australians soar even more,” he said.

“Or the coalition’s plan for cheaper, cleaner and consistent energy, which includes our visionary plan to become a nuclear-powered nation and to do the right thing by the environment.”

It follows the coalition on Wednesday unveiling plans for seven nuclear reactors across five states on the sites of coal-fired power stations, should it win government.

The plan prompted safety concerns in regional areas where the reactors are due to be built, as well as criticism over the coalition not releasing any costings.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was panned for adhering to “unachievable” renewable emissions targets, which the opposition said are blowing the budgets of Australians.

“He’s more interested in appeasing the international climate lobby than sticking up for the interests of everyday Australians,” Mr Dutton said.

“I will be someone who doesn’t shirk the hard and necessary decisions which must be made in our national interest in these tough and precarious times.”

Opposition frontbencher Paul Fletcher dismissed fears the nuclear policy could make metropolitan electorates harder to win at the next election, saying it demonstrated the party’s commitment to achieving net zero by 2050.

The coalition faced significant challenges at the 2022 federal election in blue-ribbon, inner-city seats from teal independents, who pledged greater action on climate change.

While the reactors would be built in regional locations, Mr Fletcher said those in inner city areas would also embrace the idea of nuclear.

Under the plan, it would take until 2035 to 2037 at the earliest for the first facility to be built.

Assistant Climate Change and Energy Minister Jenny McAllister hit out at the nuclear policy which she said was expensive and risky.

“The bill will be met by energy users, the risks will be borne by taxpayers, and the costs will be borne by the communities that miss out on the jobs that will come about as the world moves to net zero,” she said.

This post was originally published on Michael West.