¶ REELECTED member for O’Connor Rick Wilson believes Collie should remain in the discussion for development of a nuclear power plant.
The Liberal incumbent, who was returned to parliament on the back of a 7.31 percent two candidate preferred swing following Saturday's federal election, said Labor’s “scare campaign” did not resonate with Collie voters.
“The people of Collie have a very high energy IQ,” Mr Wilson told the Bulletin.
“That’s why the people of Collie haven’t been spooked.”
Mr Wilson expects that nuclear small modular reactor technology, of the sort proposed for Collie under the Coalition’s energy plan, will become increasingly cost effective and accessible over the next five years.
“I will be fighting, at the very minimum, for a future Coalition government to remove the nuclear moratorium,” he said.
“I’ll be advocating that our policy allows the investigation of small modular reactor technology to proceed.
“Because of the transmission infrastructure, Collie will always be at the front and centre of those sorts of conversations.”
While the Coalition suffered a devastating 2.47 percent two party preferred swing against it nationally, including the loss of leader Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson, Mr Wilson bucked the trend in O’Connor.
In Collie, Mr Wilson enjoyed positive double-digit two party preferred swings at all booths and in pre-polling.
“I was particularly heartened by the very strong results at the Collie booths, in particular a swing of 22.5 percent saw us win the Allanson booth for the first time in living memory,” he said. 
Mr Wilson attributed this in part to disillusionment with the Just Transition.
“I think the people of Collie are starting to wake up to the fact that the all-renewable future that they have been promised by the Labor Party is a mirage,” he said.
“It’s not just the people that work in the coal mines and power stations that are going to be impacted in 2029.
“If the town loses a huge chunk of its economic activity through the closure of those operations, then it will be small business people who are impacted, and it will be housing values that are impacted.
“Everybody in Collie is going to be impacted.”
Mr Wilson thanked O’Connor voters for “putting their faith in me to continue to fight for our region”.
“While the national result is not what we would have hoped for, the Liberals in O’Connor can hold their heads high for delivering one of the best results for the Coalition across the nation,” he said.
“I am looking forward to continuing to represent the O’Connor community, drive outcomes for our region and hold the Albanese government to account.”