Friday, 28 July, 2006

ABC NT Local News

The independent Member for Nelson, Gerry Wood, says the Northern Territory Chief Minister is being hypocritical for supporting more uranium mining whilst being opposed to a nuclear waste facility.

Clare Martin this week revealed she intends to back federal leader Kim Beazley's push to change Labor's no new uranium mines policy at its next national conference.

But Mr Wood says Ms Martin's position is contradictory.

"It's been telling us how bad having a nuclear waste facility in the Northern Territory would be and now it's talking about increasing the amount of uranium we send overseas," he said.

"What it's saying, it doesn't mind other countries having nuclear energy, it doesn't mind other country's having a nuclear waste facility in another country but it opposes in Australia.

"If you oppose it in Australia, then why send it overseas?"

He says the Labor Party is "totally inconsistent and totally hypocritical" on the issue.

"If they were being honest, if they were being consistent they would say we're not going to mine, we're not going to export uranium at all, end of story," he said.