Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has called for a discussion on the introduction of nuclear power in Australia.

Dutton floated the idea in a tweet.

"Peak business groups and unions are calling for the moratorium on nuclear power to be lifted, amid a push to ensure Australia is 'technology agnostic' during its transition to cut emissions," he said.

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"It's time to have the discussion."

Australia has never had a nuclear power station, though several have been proposed since the 1950s.

While nuclear energy has been opposed on environmental grounds for decades, the prospect of consistent baseload power and zero carbon emissions has led to increasing calls to consider it.

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In 2013, then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott also floated the idea of nuclear power in Australia.

"Nuclear power is the only proven way of generating the baseload power Australia needed without producing carbon pollution," he said.

About a third of the world's uranium is mined in Australia.

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Every week we will break down, debunk and demystify your rights as a shopper in Australia. This week we are looking at what consumer protections there are for buying second-hand cars privately.

We all know life is getting more expensive than ever before, and how important it is to stretch every dollar you make.

That's why each week we'll answer a question surrounding what shoppers are – and aren't – entitled to when dealing with retailers and manufacturers.

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DUD IN THE DRIVEWAY

Hi Stu,

Last year I bought a cheap Subaru second-hand from a guy online and it all appeared to be fine – drove okay, all the papers and everything were in order.

Barely a week after I had it, it started playing up on me and blowing lots of white smoke and losing heaps of power. My mechanic said it needs a new head gasket which could cost $2000.

I was really annoyed by this considering I only paid $2500 for the car! Do I have any consumer protections to get my money back?

Hi there, sorry to hear about the car – I myself have always run cheap dodgy cars and know the feeling well.

The short answer to your question is no. 

When buying a car privately (and not from a licensed motor dealer) the onus is on the buyer to do the required checks. There are no dealer guarantees if you buy a car privately from someone.

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Under Australian Consumer Law, the seller of the car is required to ensure that the vehicle has a clear title.

Even then I would be extremely cautious and run the appropriate Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) check for the car. It costs just $2 and will tell you if it's been written off, stolen or has money owing on it.

It's always advised that you get an independent mechanic to check the car you're about to buy. 

Yes it costs money, but for the same cost as a tank of fuel (at least in today's prices) you could save yourself some major headaches.

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It's also important to remember that cars are a mass of moving parts. Despite the best intentions of manufacturers, cars can and do breakdown – sometimes soon after they are sold.

Fundamentally when buying a car privately caveat emptor – buyer beware – applies. 

This is why it's generally cheaper to buy a car from a private person rather than a licensed motor dealer, who by law must give some consumer protections.

The situation with your Subaru sucks, but I would take it as a $2500 life lesson.

Do you have a consumer question you want answered? You can get in touch with reporter Stuart Marsh at sm****@******om.au.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial or legal advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

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Apple has disclosed serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices.

Apple released two security reports about the issue on Wednesday, although they didn’t receive wide attention outside of tech publications.

Apple’s explanation of the vulnerability means a hacker could get “full admin access" to the device.

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That would allow intruders to impersonate the device's owner and subsequently run any software in their name, said Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security.

Security experts have advised users to update affected devices — the iPhone6S and later models; several models of the iPad, including the 5th generation and later, all iPad Pro models and the iPad Air 2; and Mac computers running MacOS Monterey.

The flaw also affects some iPod models.

Apple did not say in the reports how, where or by whom the vulnerabilities were discovered. In all cases, it cited an anonymous researcher.

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Commercial spyware companies such as Israel’s NSO Group are known for identifying and taking advantage of such flaws, exploiting them in malware that surreptitiously infects targets’ smartphones, siphons their contents and surveils the targets in real time.

NSO Group has been blacklisted by the U.S. Commerce Department.

Its spyware is known to have been used in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America against journalists, dissidents and human rights activists.

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Security researcher Will Strafach said he had seen no technical analysis of the vulnerabilities that Apple has just patched.

The company has previously acknowledged similarly serious flaws and, in what Strafach estimated to be perhaps a dozen occasions, has noted that it was aware of reports that such security holes had being exploited.

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