Greens MPs

I was privileged to camp with Aboriginal elders and environment groups recently at the ‘Australian Nuclear Free Alliance' meeting, which took place at Mary River, about 100 km south east of Darwin.

This was a remarkable gathering of Traditional Owners and campaigners impacted by uranium mining, weapons testing and radioactive waste dumping, supported by environment groups from around the country. It got started in 1997 as the ‘Alliance Against Uranium' when the campaign to stop a uranium mine in Kakadu at Jabiluka that combining the strengths of Green and Black organising.

In the wake of the release Professor Garnaut's draft report this morning, Stateline WA ran a well timed piece this evening on the nuclear industry's unsightly scramble for a place at the climate change table.

The piece used clips from a film I produced last year titled 'Climate of Hope' which reviews the nuclear fuel chain and exposes the nuclear industry's reliance on fossil fuels. The alleged 'nuclear renaissance' just isn't happening. The renewable energy stats I quoted in the film are already out of date - the wind industry installed ten times more capacity worldwide last year than nuclear power. It's time Australia kicked the fossil/nuclear habit once and for all.

The Rudd Government needs to take a careful look at Martin Ferguson’s handling of the latest tragic chapter of Australia’s 50-year nuclear waste story.

A cursory review of the history of Government attempts to force nuclear waste dumps on unwilling communities shows an unbroken record of Government failure. It’s time for new thinking.

I am very worried - and I think all Australians ought to be equally worried - that Australia’s rapidly growing involvement in the global nuclear industry has been shrouded in silence during this campaign. Brief mentions by Kerry O'Brien on the 7.30 Report in his leaders' interviews this week are essentially the sum total of media discussion on the issue.

Senator Kerry Nettle joined Greens supporters and other protesters outside the Australian Nuclear Association conference in Sydney today. This ageing band of nuclear warriors were joined by Dr Ziggy Switkowski, Chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) as part of their campaign to support John Howard's plan for 25 nuclear reactors in Australia.

Kerry outlined the Greens plan for a Nuclear Free Australia, including keeping Sydney's nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights shutdown. Copies of the Greens new Nuclear Family post card (see picture above) were distributed to the public.