Thursday 8 December 2005
ALP
Senator Trish Crossin

Senator Trish Crossin has ripped up a copy of the Northern Territory Self Government Act in the Senate saying that's what the Federal Government is doing with its radioactive waste dump bills.

The bills containing Senator Scullion's irrelevant amendments were passed by the Senate at approximately 11 am NT time. They now return to the House of Representatives for their final stage where they are expected to be passed today.

Speaking to the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Bills Senator Crossin said:

"This bill characterises the absolute abuse of power that has quickly become routine since the Coalition won control of the senate and highlights the arrogance of a Government that has been around for nine long years."

"The bills give the government the right to over ride any Northern Territory legislation that might stand in the way of imposing a radioactive dump in the Territory.

"I found Senator Scullion's claim in the Senate that Government members had been 'reasoned and clear' throughout the process entirely hypocritical" Senator Crossin said.

"The people of the Northern territory have been monumentally misled by comments such as this from Senator Scullion:

"The people of the Northern Territory don't want anybody else's nuclear waste in the Northern Territory; I represent them and so, not on my watch." (ABC Radio, 9th June 2005)

Senator Crossin highlighted the government members' lies and disinformation the waste dump campaign.

On the search for a national waste dump site the Prime Minister said on ABC radio in July last year

"The rights of the Territory will be no less respected than the rights of Australians in other parts of the country. We're not going to treat the Territory in a disrespectful fashion"

Senator Crossin however noted in the debate that "The whole purpose of this bill is to exploit the Northern Territory because it has fewer rights than a state and even these are about to be trampled over by the Federal Government in a way not seen before in the history of this Parliament."

"……..It is mischievous to suggest that because Territorians voted against Shane Stone's 'mean and tricky' statehood model, we should give the green light for the Federal Government to impose this on the Territory. Senator Crossin said.