Thursday, 11 August, 2005

by Senator Milne
The Greens

Labor and Coalition senators have abandoned the people of the Northern Territory to a high-risk future, and the world to the threat of more nuclear weapons, Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania Christine Milne said today.

"The Howard government has ignored the wishes of the NT Labor government yet Labor senators sided with the Liberals and Nationals, endorsing the coalition government's grab for power to expand uranium mining," Senator Milne said today.

"This comes on top of the coalition foisting a nuclear waste dump on the NT.

"Foreign Minister Downer continues to mislead the public by claiming that fuelling nuclear power with Australian uranium is doing the world a favour by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but he has nothing to say about disposal of the additional toxic waste.

"Now we have the federal Science Minister Brendan Nelson stating that Australia should consider developing a nuclear power industry.

"Uranium mining and nuclear power production entail unacceptable risk. The risk of leakage for weapons manufacturer is high.

"Australia should be developing its energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, for domestic use and for export.

"These threaten no one, except the entrenched interests of coal and uranium mining companies which the Howard government seems so willing to serve."

Senator Milne's motion was defeated 54 votes to eight. The motion read:

That the Senate:

1. Notes the federal government's intention to override the Northern Territory government in pursuit of expanding uranium mining, announced on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the United States of America dropping the first atomic bomb, killing around 140,000 people in the Japanese city of Hiroshima;
2. Rejects the expansion of uranium mining because of its potential to cause grave harm to people and the environment, and the risk of Australian uranium being diverted to the production of nuclear weapons; and
3. Calls on the federal government to abandon the expansion of uranium mining and instead support the expansion of energy efficiency and renewable energy to address the challenge of climate change.