American ambitions to build a naval base in Perth to accommodate nuclear-powered attack submarines, aircraft carriers and missile cruisers should be rejected, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said today.
A US report due for official release tomorrow includes a recommendation to massively increase the American military presence in Australia by expanding the Stirling base in Perth.
The plan is part of one of four options in the Centre for Strategic and International Studies report commissioned by the US defence department.
Senator LUDLAM: This motion arose from the work of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties which is chaired by Mr Kelvin Thomson. The report that reflects this motion was a unanimous one. I thank all members of the committee for their work. Australia's advocacy for nuclear disarmament, which I think is agreed by everyone in this place, would have a lot more credibility but for two factors. One is that we include nuclear weapons in our security policy under the US nuclear umbrella. I believe that should be reviewed.
The Australian Greens welcomed new Future Fund chief David Gonski today and urged him to hit the ground running by cutting the Fund's links to nuclear weapons.
Greens spokesperson for nuclear policy Senator Scott Ludlam said that as of January 2012, the Fund holds more than $133million of shares in 14 companies involved in nuclear weapons programs.
Plans to host American nuclear submarines at Garden Island should be rejected, Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said today.
Senator Ludlam said the Australian Defence Force posture review - an inquiry into Australian defence bases - was off target with the suggestion that US nuclear submarines should be serviced at Garden Island.
The Australian Government must end uranium sales to Russia if it is serious about stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the Australian Greens said today.
Greens spokesperson for nuclear affairs Senator Scott Ludlam said strongly-worded statements on Iran from Canberra rang hollow unless the government ends the sale of uranium to Iran's key nuclear partner - Russia.
Labor and the Coalition are partners in crime with their support for uranium sales to India - one of the world's least safe nuclear states, the Australian Greens said today.
Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said nuclear security in India was ranked 28th out of 32 countries with significant amounts of weapons-grade uranium or plutonium.
India will axe its current nuclear regulator weeks after the Labor Party abandoned its ban on selling uranium to the nuclear-armed state.
Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said India's panel of experts will be replaced by a government-controlled body with no independence.
The Labor Party's backflip on the sale of uranium to India is "a shocking abandonment of the campaign for nuclear disarmament", the Australian Greens said today. Nuclear issues spokesperson Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam said the sale of uranium to India while that country is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is opposed by many Indian people and almost certainly illegal.
Prime Minister Gillard has backed former Prime Minister Howard's policy on four vital issues which will figure prominently in the 2013 federal election, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.