A MEETING was held in Tennant Creek last night to discuss the very likely possibility of a nuclear waste facility - or "dump" to us non-politically-correct types - being dumped on the Territory.

Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson was not there. He is, you see, a very busy man.

 

Ferguson was in Darwin yesterday for the opening of the $49 million BOC helium plant at Wickham Point.

Good news. Economic growth. The little Aussie miracle continues to defy any fallout from the global financial crisis. Photo opportunities. On Wednesday he will fly to Alice Springs, where Opposition Leader Tony Abbott had been frolicking for a few days and getting a few hopes up when he went missing for some hours in the desert.

Ferguson yesterday took time out from his busy schedule to talk to the ABC's Julia Christensen and attempted to trot out the same old trite "tell 'em nothing" nonsense about the proposed nuclear waste facility going to Muckaty Station, north of Tennant Creek.

This was the site nominated by the Northern Land Council - backed by at least some local landholders - several years ago to the former Howard government.

What really stuck in the craw was Ferguson's assertion that no deal had been made, he didn't make a habit of discussing issues in the media and, anyway, whatever negotiations that may be taking place about the nuclear waste issue by officers of his department would be classified as "commercial in confidence".

It was a display of off-handed arrogance that recalled performances of ministers in the Howard government after four terms in power rather than a Government that has lost a lot of its initial sheen and is preparing to face just its second election.

It was also a bit of a hoot that Ferguson is being so media-sensitive. When he was president of the ACTU, he wasn't actually a media slut but he certainly wasn't shy in using the media to get his message across if behind-closed-doors negotiations weren't moving at the pace or in the direction he wanted.

Anyway, after the BOC helium plant opening, Ferguson had a full day of meetings scheduled in Darwin - even if it was none of our business who they were with. Trouble is, the scuttlebutt that he would be taking time to talk to people connected with the possible siting of a nuclear waste dump in the Territory, specifically at Muckaty, just wouldn't go away.

That all this follows the Rudd Government fulfilling an election promise in repealing laws allowing a nuclear waste dump in the Territory - and then arrogantly replacing it with almost identical legislation pushes the entire affair further towards black farce.

Ferguson's plaintive bleat at the end of the interview with the admirable Christensen - "I thought this was going to be about the helium plant" - was simply outrageous, bullying bulldust. The BOC helium plant is welcome in Darwin, Minister. There's little controversy about it.

But there's still a lot more to be said about whether a nuclear waste facility - something that has been looking for a home since 1988, when the Hawke government was in power - is sited in the Territory because none of the states will have it.

We're willing to talk about it - but it would help if you lose the attitude the next time you drop in, Minister.