[Greens-Media] Senator Rachel Siewert: Resources Minister out on a nuclear limb

[Ludlam, Scott (Sen R. Siewert)]

Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens Senator for WA


MEDIA RELEASE

Hiroshima Day: Saturday 6 August 2005

Resources Minister out on a nuclear limb

Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane does not necessarily have the
ability to legally override the Northern Territory government to force
the development of new uranium mines. 

Senator Rachel Siewert is sceptical that the Commonwealth Government has
the legal authority to compel the Territory to approve a uranium mine. 

'I strongly suspect that this violation of Territorians' rights is on
shaky legal ground,' Senator Siewert said this morning. 'When Parliament
commences I will be asking the Minister on what basis he believes that
this move is legal, and call the Minister's bluff.'

'I will also be reminding the Coalition that people elect State and
Territory Governments for a reason,' she said. 'Territorians are already
gearing up for a battle over the national nuclear waste dump: the last
thing they need is John Howard overriding the Territory Government's
mandate to prevent uranium mining.

'We are reminded on Hiroshima Day that the bomb that devastated that
Japanese city was fueled with uranium from South Australia. The only way
to prevent this from happening again is to shut down the nuclear
industry at its source and hold the line on banning uranium mining.'

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