Wednesday, 12 December, 2007

ABC NT

CHRISTENSEN: You and Kevin Rudd are keen to demonstrate policies that
differentiate the ALP from the Coalition. What about the uranium
policy? Do you support overturning the ban on new uranium mines?

GILLARD: This will all be dealt with at our April National Conference
and so the result will definitely be known after that. The main issue I
think for the Territory in present circumstances is what's happening
with the nuclear waste dump and Dave Tollner, the Member for Solomon, I
understand supports a nuclear waste dump coming here to the Territory.
I respect the Territory enough to say, it should have a say in what
happens here. I don't believe the Federal Government should treat the
Territory in a shabby way, ride roughshod over the Territory. There
ought to be a proper scientific process that looks at all possible
locations in this country rather than having a Federal Government say to
the Territory, it's definitely going to you.

CHRISTENSEN: But Kevin Rudd has staked his leadership on new uranium
mines. You can't have uranium mining without some level of waste can
you?

GILLARD: Well uranium mining of course is for export. We are against a
nuclear energy industry in this country. Mr Howard is for a nuclear
energy industry. So the question of waste under the Howard Government
is a bigger one. Presently in this country, we have medical waste, the
sorts of things that flow from nuclear medicine. It does need to be
properly disposed of, but what I don't support is I don't support the
Howard Government's approach of bullying the Territory into taking a
waste dump.

CHRISTENSEN: But can you have more uranium mining without taking some
sort of responsibility for the waste?

GILLARD: Well uranium mining is about export and it is about nuclear
energy and use in other countries, whereas nuclear energy here would
definitely generate waste that was our responsibility.