Thursday, 7 September, 2006

ABC NT Local News

A Federal Labor backbencher has accused the South Australian Government of hypocrisy for supporting more uranium mining but blocking a nuclear waste facility.

In Parliament last night the Member for the Northern Territory seat of Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, attacked the CLP's Member for Solomon, Dave Tollner's position.

He accused Mr Tollner of ruling out a nuclear waste facility in the Territory before the last federal election in 2004, but supporting it soon afterwards.

But Mr Snowdon told the chamber he agreed 100 per cent with Mr Tollner on South Australia's position.

"And I regard it as hypocrisy for the South Australian Government to be advocating the expansion of uranium mining in the way they're doing in South Australia and at the same time say they refuse to accept any responsibility for nuclear waste," he said.

"They want to be in one part of the nuclear fuel cycle, but not in another."