Government guilty of radioactive back-flip
Senator Scott Ludlam
The Australian Greens
The Australian Greens say the Government is guilty of an appalling back-flip on radioactive waste after committing more than 4 million dollars in the Federal Budget for a waste dump, but voting down a Senate motion quoting ALP policy on consulting with communities over where it should be placed.
"When in opposition Labor opposed the Howard Government's Radioactive Waste Management Act, saying it would conduct a more transparent process to consult with communities over the potential site for any nuclear waste dump," said the Greens' Spokesperson for Nuclear Issues, Senator Scott Ludlam.
"Now a Labor Government has committed more than $4 million dollars in a Federal Budget to enforce the location of a dump on a community which they are refusing to disclose."
"Today I moved a Senate motion calling on the Government to honour its election commitment and consult with communities before determining the nuclear waste dump site. The Government voted that down, maintaining
the Howard line, abandoning its election commitment and targeting an unidentified community."
"The Government is also spending more than 8 million dollars over 4 years to clean up the former Commonwealth Rum Jungle Uranium site in the Northern territory."
"The fact that the taxpayer is still having to foot the bill to clean up the mess from a mine abandoned 50 years ago, underscores the long term impact of radioactive tailings from uranium mines. What kind of legacy does this Government intend to leave future generations? Does it expect them to bear the burden for cleaning up their mess?"
"The Government has a duty to consult with communities, before condemning them to decades of cleans-ups and stuff-ups," concluded Senator Ludlam.
"When in opposition Labor opposed the Howard Government's Radioactive Waste Management Act, saying it would conduct a more transparent process to consult with communities over the potential site for any nuclear waste dump," said the Greens' Spokesperson for Nuclear Issues, Senator Scott Ludlam.
"Now a Labor Government has committed more than $4 million dollars in a Federal Budget to enforce the location of a dump on a community which they are refusing to disclose."
"Today I moved a Senate motion calling on the Government to honour its election commitment and consult with communities before determining the nuclear waste dump site. The Government voted that down, maintaining
the Howard line, abandoning its election commitment and targeting an unidentified community."
"The Government is also spending more than 8 million dollars over 4 years to clean up the former Commonwealth Rum Jungle Uranium site in the Northern territory."
"The fact that the taxpayer is still having to foot the bill to clean up the mess from a mine abandoned 50 years ago, underscores the long term impact of radioactive tailings from uranium mines. What kind of legacy does this Government intend to leave future generations? Does it expect them to bear the burden for cleaning up their mess?"
"The Government has a duty to consult with communities, before condemning them to decades of cleans-ups and stuff-ups," concluded Senator Ludlam.