Friday 31 March 2006
The Greens

MEDIA RELEASE

Australia must accept responsibility for the nuclear waste and weapons that flow from its uranium, Australian Greens energy spokesperson enator Christine Milne said today.

"Labor resources spokesperson Martin Ferguson is quite right when he says that Australia's role in the global nuclear cycle does not stop with exporting our uranium. It ends with responsibility for nuclear weapons and waste," Senator Milne said in Canberra.

"That's why the best role that Australia can play as a responsible global citizen on climate change is to promote renewable energy as the solution and leave uranium in the ground.

"There is no safe disposal for nuclear waste and it is time that Labor's cheer leader for the Howard government came clean about the logical consequences of his support for uranium mining. "

"In a world which wants governments and corporations to take cradle-to-grave responsibility for the resource, processing and waste cycles, does he think Australia should become the global dump for nuclear waste?

"Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke promoted the idea of Australia as a nuclear waste dump, now Melbourne University nuclear physicist DrGeoff Hudson agrees.

"Is, Australia the Nuclear Waste Dump of the World, the Labor Party's vision for Australia in the 21st Century?"

"The Labor Party and the Howard government cannot advocate uranium xports without a proposed repository for nuclear waste. To do otherwise is globally irresponsible."

"Is this part of the deal with China likely to be signed next Monday?"