ACTION ALERT: Oppose watering down Labor's anti-nuclear commitments

The Howard Government has decided to facilitate uranium sales to China and play a role in the global expansion of nuclear power as a partner of the Bush administration. Therefore, there is an intensive campaign going on to have the Labor Party water down its anti-nuclear commitments. This is led by the embattled uranium industry which has enlisted the support of some important ALP figures. But it is the State and Territory governments, all Labor, which have the power to approve new uranium mines.

Using the problem of global warming, the nuclear industry is running an aggressive campaign projecting uranium as a "clean" energy source to magically solve both the environmental crisis and future energy needs. Typically, the Howard Government has grasped this straw to give the impression it is serious about tackling global warming. Statements have been made by Howard, Costello, Brendan Nelson and others endorsing nuclear exports as well as a nuclear industry for Australia.

Instead of taking the arguments up to a Government vulnerable on this issue, some Labor figures, notably Shadow Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, SA Premier Mike Rann and AWU National President Bill Ludwig, have started a campaign to change Labor policy to a pro-nuclear one. The irony with Rann is that he only announced his conversion to the pro-nuclear cause after an impressive state election victory in which he was perceived to be anti-uranium. Ferguson earned praise from Howard who is no doubt delighted to find another issue to play "wedge" politics with the ALP.

At the same time, Howard described Labor’s Shadow Environment Minister, Anthony Albanese, who is opposing the campaign, as a "neanderthal".

As Albanese said in a recent speech marking the 20^th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine:"Nuclear energy doesn’t add up economically, environmentally or socially. After more than 50 years of debate, we still do not have an answer to the issues of nuclear proliferation or of nuclear waste.

"Of all the energy options, nuclear is the most capital intensive to establish, decommissioning is extremely expensive and the financial burden continues long after the plant is closed.

"On 30 March 2006, Britain estimated it will cost $170 billion to clean up their 20 nuclear sites.

"In the United States, direct subsidies to nuclear energy totalled $115 billion between 1947 and 1999, with a further $145 billion in indirect subsidies. In contrast, subsidies to wind and solar combined during the same period totalled only $5.5 billion.

"Those costs don’t include the black hole of nuclear waste because there is no solution to the nuclear waste problem." (See Anthony's website: www.anthonyalbanese.com.au - go to Speeches)

Mikhail Gorbachev declared this month: "Chernobyl opened my eyes like nothing else: it showed the horrible consequences of nuclear power, even when it is used for non military purposes."

Key Labor figures need to know that many people in the community – Labor voters and potential Labor voters – are unhappy with any thought that Labor would water down its current anti-nuclear commitments.

Suggested e-mail message

It would be preferable if you e-mailed your own unique message to any or all of the following key Labor Party figures. However, if you are short of time, here’s some words to get you going:

Dear ……….. ,

I write to voice my concern over any suggestion that the Labor Party should water down its current policy against the opening of any new uranium mines in Australia. I make these points:

• I oppose the Howard government's recent agreement to sell uranium to China and to promote nuclear power as an answer to global warming.
• After 50 years there are still no answers to the problems of nuclear waste. Nuclear energy is still not safe. As the ALP policy states: production and use of uranium in the nuclear fuel cycle represents risks which include "… the generation of highly toxic radioactive waste by-products, which demands permanently safe disposal methods not currently available." Uranium intended for "peaceful" purposes can easily be converted to weaponry. The more uranium there is around, the greater the likelihood that something can go wrong. A number of key nations are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the opportunity for terrorist groupings to get hold of such weaponry is much greater today. Iran, an NPT signatory, is the focus of global concern that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
• It is a myth that nuclear power is a "clean" solution to greenhouse gas emissions. The enormous expenditure required makes no sense even from an economic rationalist perspective. It would divert much-need funding away from the development of energy efficient systems and genuinely clean and renewable energy sources.

Finally, there are no votes to be gained for the ALP by watering down the policy. Indeed, there are votes to be lost in watering down the policy.

I urge you to support either the maintenance of existing Labor Party policy or changes that would strengthen its anti-uranium stance.Email addresses:

The Hon Kim Beazley MP, Leader of the Opposition: Kim.Beazley.MP@aph.gov.au

Jenny Macklin MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition: JMacklin.MP@aph.gov.au

Chris Evans, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate: Senator.Evans@aph.gov.au

Stephen Conroy, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate: Senator.Conroy@aph.gov.au

Anthony Albanese MP, Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage: A.Albanese.MP@aph.gov.au

Steve Bracks, Premier of Victoria: steve.bracks@parliament.vic.gov.au

Bill Shorten, Australian Workers Union: bill.shorten@awu.net.au

Joe de Bruyn, Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Union: joe@sda.org.au

Jeff Lawrence, LHMU National Secretary: jeffl@lhmu.org.au

Doug Cameron, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union: dcameron@amwu.asn.au

Warren Mundine, ALP National President: wmundine@nswnts.com.au

State Secretary of the ALP in your state.