Thursday, 23 August, 2007

by Imogen Zethoven
The Wilderness Society

Local plebiscites on nuclear power are a complete joke according to the Wilderness Society, which today called on the National Party to reject the Prime Minister’s push for Australia to join the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership and turn Australia into the world’s nuclear waste dump.

“Local plebiscites are a ridiculous concept when fallout from a nuclear power accident can endanger people living thousands of kilometres away,” said nuclear spokesperson, Imogen Zethoven.

“We already know that the majority of Australians don’t want a nuclear future. A Newspoll in March 2007 found that two thirds of the population were opposed to a nuclear power plants near them. A plebiscite would be a complete waste of taxpayers money and a diversion from the real issue.

The real threat faced by Australians is this: the Prime Minister is keen to sign up to President George W. Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). Full membership of GNEP would commit Australia to an international nuclear waste dump, something the Liberal Party has already unanimously endorsed this year.

“It is encouraging that Dr Sue Page, National Party candidate for the seat of Richmond, has rejected the Liberal Party’s nuclear agenda. We now look to the National’s Leader, Mark Vaile, to fully support his candidate and stand up to the Prime Minister on this matter of huge importance to Australia’s future.

Mr Vaile should immediately demand that the Liberal-led Government withdraw from secret negotiations to join GNEP – the global nuclear club. “The price of full admission is an international nuclear waste dump in Australia” Ms Zethoven said.

The Wilderness Society accused the Government of having one approach for people living in marginal seats in eastern and southern Australia, and another for people living in the Northern Territory, where people’s basic democratic rights have been removed by draconian federal legislation to impose a national nuclear waste dump.

“The Government has stripped Territorians of their democratic rights, yet says that in 10 years time people living in the states can have a plebiscite. The Government is turning Territorians into second class citizens: if you live in the east of south you get a plebiscite and power plant, and if you live in the Territory you get nothing and a dump.”