[Greens-Media] Greens urge leadership on Nuclear Disarmament

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Greens urge leadership on Nuclear Disarmament
Friday 17th October 2008

The Australian Greens today put their support behind the first meeting
of Prime Minister Rudd's "International Commission on Nuclear
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament."

"This is a very welcome initiative which has the potential to lead to a
breakthrough in the lead up to the crucial meeting of the
Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2010 which I will be attending," said Greens
nuclear spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam.

"It is essential that this initiative is not sabotaged by the commercial
nuclear and uranium mining industries, as we have seen with Australia's
regrettable support for the US-India nuclear deal."

"Countries like Japan and Australia are also in a great position to now
take up their own advice on nuclear disarmament.  Their primary focus
should be to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in security policies
worldwide, with the first step being putting down the nuclear umbrella,"
said Senator Ludlam.
Nuclear umbrella states are middle powers lending bases, ports and
infrastructure for the US nuclear war fighting apparatus, while also
lending weight and credence to the idea that nuclear weapons bring
security. 

"By participating in the US nuclear umbrella, Australia endorses nuclear
terror by sending a message that nuclear weapons have security utility
and symbolic power. Australia's diplomatic efforts towards nuclear
disarmament have a dramatically reduced credibility or hope of success
while this remains our policy," said Senator Ludlam.

"While I was in Japan I had the opportunity to meet with the
non-government parties and Japanese MPs, to help ensure that sponsor
governments will have the active engagement of parliamentarians.  NGOs
are also forging an engagement to coordinate dialogue and strategic
collaboration, providing an NGO reference group to each commissioner and
contributing commentary to each Commission paper," he concluded.

For more information or media enquiries please call Tim Norton on 0418
401 180
senator.ludlam at aph.gov.au  |  www.scottludlam.org.au  |
www.greensmps.org.au