The Coalition has proposed a huge investment in nuclear power in the coming decades.
It's a proposition that has led to some Coalition politicians looking to Ontario, Canada's largest province, as a jurisdiction to emulate.
Here in Pickering, 30 kilometres from Toronto, people like Joyal Applewhaite live in the shadow of the nuclear power plant.
Her home is little more than a kilometre away from the site.
Every day its six operating reactors generate enough electricity to power 2 million homes.
"It's just something that you walk past, or you go to the beach, or you go to the park, you know, or the woods. It's just there," Ms Applewhaite said.
"No one really pays it any mind."
Ontario decided on a nuclear path 60 years ago. It's spent huge amounts, accepted the risks and generated thousands of tonnes of radioactive waste for carbon-free electricity.
Nuclear power makes up more the 50 per cent of Ontario's energy mix, and the province's average household energy price is in the mid range of all of the Canadian provinces.
The province relies on three big nuclear plants which have 20 reactors in all, though some have been shut down and others are being refurbished.
The cost estimates on those flow into tens of billions of dollars. Still, like Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Ontario's conservative Premier Doug Ford says nuclear is the way to go.
"If you don't have wind, or you don't have a sunny day, you don't have power on renewables," Mr Ford said.
"But with nuclear it's running 24/7, 365, and it's consistent and it's green, clean energy."
In Canada, much like in Australia, nuclear power has caused large-scale debate.
While that debate in Australia has been stymied for many years due to the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998, in Ontario critics remain vocal.
As the province doubles down on nuclear, they argue the strategy has come at the expense of investment in renewable energy.
"We would prefer that the province get serious about building wind and solar power now, as fast as possible," Keith Brooks from Environmental Defence Canada said.
"It's cheaper and can be built much, much faster."
Another major issue is what happens to the radioactive waste from used nuclear fuel.
Presently Australia does not have a primary waste management facility for nuclear, despite a private one opening in the Western Australia desert at Sandy Ridge.
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) stores its low-level waste on site, but only has enough temporary storage space till 2040.
Ontario has a similar problem, with about 3 million radioactive fuel bundles in "temporary" storage on site at power plants.
Canada has plans for a deep geological repository, a permanent solution to store nuclear waste 700 metres underground, but it won't become a reality unless potential host communities vote in favour of it.
Approval is far from guaranteed and even the best-case scenario won't see any waste in deep storage for at least two decades.
"I don't think it makes sense … to be building or committing to build new power plants, when we still don't have a solution to deal with all of the waste that we've already generated," Mr Brooks said.
"Whether we find a solution is up in the air and even if we do, it will take a long time for that solution to actually be in existence and for us to finally have somewhere we could put the waste."
Will proposed SMRs actually happen?
Solving that issue is crucial to Ontario's nuclear future, including the province's plans to build four of the world's first small modular reactors (SMRs).
SMRs are smaller than traditional reactors, and at an estimated cost of $2.2 billion each, they're promoted as being cheaper.
"There are other jurisdictions that will need smaller designs and this is definitely a game changer," said Subo Sinnathamby, from the provincially-owned Ontario Power Generation.
It's projected the province will need to double electricity production by 2050. Ms Sinnathamby says nuclear power will be key to meeting that goal.
"It's going to have a bigger role ... whether it's with small modular reactors, refurbished reactors, or building large new nuclear," she said.
'I'll take nuclear over coal'
Nuclear now makes up 51 per cent of that energy mix. Natural gas generates 25 per cent of Ontario's power, followed by hydro at 21 per cent. Wind contributed just 3 per cent. There is no coal power.
Mr Ford said nuclear is vital for the province to meet it greenhouse gas reduction target.
And if Australia does explore nuclear, he said, Ontario is happy to help.
"We want to collaborate with people from Australia and show them the great opportunities they'll have if they build a nuclear facility," he said.
"You have two choices: You either go that route or you have coal-fired plants like we see in the US, we see in China.
"I'll take the nuclear over coal-fired plants any day."
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