Saturday, 10 March, 2007

by Senator Trish Crossin
ALP

Revelations of the perverse secret dump dealings of the Federal Government's radioactive waste club highlights why we need an open, transparent process on this issue Senator Trish Crossin says.

"Why has Minister Julie Bishop allowed the offer to Muckaty Traditional Owners of $9 million every five years for a hundred years to be hidden behind confidentiality and commercial in confidence excuses?" Senator Crossin said.

"If the process isn't farcical why keep it a secret including refusing to answer questions about it in Senate estimates hearings.

"Why target some of the poorest, most vulnerable people in Australia with a secret deal instead of a transparent process which might generate other expressions of interest from communities elsewhere?

"The Minister is going for the expedient political quick fix.

"Her departmental officers, whose job is to dump the waste, are the only outsiders being able to present a view on the dump to Traditional Owners.

"Even then it seems just a select group of the Muckaty Traditional Owners have been welcome at the meetings so far.

"Dissenting voices amongst traditional owners should be heard, as well as the balancing view from an organisation such as the Australian Conservation Foundation.

"This radioactive dump and the caskets of intermediate level waste will be with us much longer than one hundred years.

"Labor calls for an open, transparent process to decide the fate of this waste" Senator Crossin said.