PETER VAN ONSELEN: Why everyone needs to sit up and pay attention to Ziggy Switkowski on nuclear energy – as Anthony Albanese tries to scare Aussies with silly memes [Video]

20:48 EDT 20 Jun 2024, updated 21:06 EDT 20 Jun 2024

For those who haven’t heard of him, Ziggy Switkowski might sound like a cartoon name associated with the sort of childish characterisations of nuclear power being posted on social media by Labor MPs in the wake of Peter Dutton’s policy announcement. 

However, Dr Switkowski is anything but a cheap wisecrack.

Arguably Australia’s most senior business leader with scientific qualifications to boot, Dr Switkowski is a former CEO of both Telstra and Optus. 

And he’s studied business management at Harvard University too, served as a university Chancellor and sat on all manner of government boards.

But it is his scientific qualifications and experience that make his (albeit qualified) support for Peter Dutton’s venture into nuclear power so powerful, and one assumes a welcome intervention for the opposition.