Big Australian union will fight decision to sell uranium to India
Union digs in over uranium for India, BY:EWIN HANNAN AND BRENDAN NICHOLSON , The Australian November 28, 2011 ONE of the biggest left-wing unions has promised to fight Julia Gillard’s decision to support selling uranium to India at this week’s ALP national conference.
Electrical Trades Union national secretary Peter Tighe accused the Prime Minister of rewarding India for its “flagrant disregard” of international commitments…. The Left is opposed to any dilution of the party’s position on India, which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty….. Mr Tighe said the decision was “alarming” and he would pursue the issue. “This policy shift has been sold as ‘modernising’ Labor’s position on uranium, but there’s nothing ‘modern’ about nuclear weapons or energy,” he said.
“We can have all the safeguards we like, but as soon as yellowcake leaves Australian shores, we lose control over it. India developed its nuclear capacity with no regard to international commitments. It is highly irresponsible to reward such flagrant disrespect of the international community with uranium supplies.
“The union is particularly concerned in the context of ongoing tension between India and Pakistan over the disputed regions of Jammu and Kashmir.”A recent meeting of the union’s divisional council passed a motion condemning the policy shift.
“This divisional council calls on all ALP delegates attending the ALP national conference to oppose any changes that allows any increase in sales of uranium,” it says. “Further, divisional council directs the divisional secretary to write to all ALP conference delegates . . . asking them to oppose any change to ALP policy.” Mr Tighe said nuclear power and energy had “horrific consequences” and Australia should “have no part in it”. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/union-digs-in-over-uranium-for-india/story-fn59niix-1226207507185
Doctors say Alice Springs at risk from transport of radioactive waste:
Alice Springs, 28
November 2010: An Alice Springs-based team of doctors has completed a study of the potential risks of transport of radioactive waste materials, and has launched a fact sheet to explain the findings. Co-author, MAPW member Dr Tom Keaney, believes that this work is timely, with the proposed waste repository at Muckaty currently the subject of a major national debate.
- Read the MAPW Fact Sheet on transport of radioactive waste
- Read the media release by MAPW Northern Territory Branch
- Read the MAPW fact sheet: Q&A on the nuclear waste – explaining what it is planned to bury, or store, at the Muckaty site. http://www.mapw.org.au/news/alice-springs-risk-transport-radioactive-waste-mapw-nt-members
Huge protest impedes nuclear waste train in Germany
Thousands block nuke train in Germany ABC 702 Sydney, 28 Nov 11, German police battled thousands of anti-nuclear protesters trying to block a train carrying nuclear waste in the north of the country. The convoy taking the German waste is now nearing the end of its 1,200-kilometre journey from a reprocessing centre in north-western France to a storage facility in the northern German city of Dannenberg.
After stopping for 18 hours, including overnight, amid mass demonstrations, the train only covered about 30 kilometres in four hours. Thousands of activists swarmed the tracks along the route near Dannenberg and boasted that the train’s journey had now topped the 92-hour record set during a shipment one year ago. Continue reading
South Australia: Labor and Liberal toe the BHP Billiton line on Roxby Downs Indenture Bill
Roxby debate exposes BHPB radioactive racism Greens MLC Mark Parnell has questioned why the SA government, under the Roxby Downs Indenture Ratification Amendment Bill 2011, is allowing BHP Billiton to continue to override the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.
The answers in Hansard reveal BHP Billiton’s continued radioactive racism and of the failure of the State to respect or to protect Aboriginal people’s interests including Aboriginal Heritage. The ALP and the Liberals voted together to prevent the Greens deleting Clause 8 of the Bill and repealing Section 9 of the Roxby Downs Indenture Ratification Act 1892:
Extracts: The Hon. G.E. GAGO: I have been advised that that is what the agreement was at the time and that BHP currently are only willing to consider the continuation of the current arrangements.
… I have been advised that BHP insisted that the current arrangements continue and they were not prepared to consider changes to that.
… I have been advised that BHP were satisfied with the current arrangements and insisted on the continuation of these arrangements, and the government did not consult further than that.
ROXBY DOWNS (INDENTURE RATIFICATION) (AMENDMENT OF INDENTURE) AMENDMENT BILL
In committee. Legislative Council, Thursday 24th November 2011. Page 4699-4717 (the second of three Hansard sections on that day re the Roxby Indenture) http://hansard.parliament.sa.gov.au/pages/loaddoc.aspx?e=2&eD=2011_11_24&c=26 Continue reading
Australia – get ready for a summer of climate denialist lies!
Christopher Monckton the Lord of Mendacity, Independent Australia 27 Nov 11 Lord Christopher Monckton has deliberately and systematically lied and dissembled to mislead the public on climate change, says Associate Professor John Abraham. This summer, the people of Australia will yet again be treated to a circus tour. It will make light of one of the most pressing problems facing this planet.That problem, climate change, will not go away even though an orchestrated group of contrarians wishes it would. The most outspoken leader of this troupe is Christopher Monckton, a person with excellent credentials in speaking but no credentials in real science (he has not published a single peer-reviewed paper on any scientific topic).
Christopher Monckton presents himself as a fair and accurate interpreter of the science, but a careful examination of his views shows that he is anything but fair and accurate. He was most recently seen comparing Ross Garnaut, the Australian government’s climate change adviser (and author for this series) to a Nazi.
Real scientists have never taken Mr. Monckton seriously. This hasn’t stopped him from traveling the world, presenting his views on science to anyone who will listen….. We have a serious problem facing us. In order to make wise and informed decisions, we need accurate information.
Only with good information can we decide which pathway offers us the cheapest and most effective means to deal with climate change. This is why CSIRO recently dropped sponsorship from an Australian conference at which Monckton will be speaking later this month. It’s also why Monckton was dumped from a private school networking event on the Gold Coast.
When people like Christopher Monckton misrepresent science, with an obvious agenda to delay action, they make our decisions more difficult and more expensive. Instead of making light of the issue of climate change, instead of vilifying people who are genuinely concerned, instead of presenting inaccurate science, we should find ways to work together in a civil manner to collectively choose a path forward…. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/environment/christopher-monckton-the-lord-of-mendacity/
Julia Gillard “Obama’s Deputy Sheriff” – Julian Assange accuses
Assange takes aim at Australian PM Wilileaks founder Julian Assange accepts a 
Walkley Award. [ABC] Australia Network News, 27 Nov 11 The website Wikileaks has received a major award at the premier journalism awards in Australia, the Walkleys, held in the northern city of Brisbane on Sunday night.
Wikileaks Founder, Julian Assange, took the opportunity to criticise the Australian Prime Minister and the Government.
His whistle blower site was given the award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism. Mr Assange, appeared via a videolink, and told the audience Ms Gillard’s behaviour has been ’embarrassing.’
“What I cannot understand is the craven behaviour of the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard,” he said. “It is embarrassing, does she really think that she can become Obama’s deputy…
North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy, who was nominated in three categories, took home the award for radio news and current affairs for his reports on when March’s devastating tsunami hit the Japanese fishing community of Rikuzentakata and the aftermath of the TEPCO nuclear disaster. https://mail.google.com/mail/?tab=wm#compose
Julia Gillard’s backflip on uranium to India has met with dismay by India’s growing anti nuclear movement
Heat rises beyond the smog in India AMANDA HODGE, SOUTH ASIA CORRESPONDENT : The Australian November 26, 2011 “………particularly where the government’s nuclear energy parks are planned, such as India’s southern tip, news of the [Julia Gillard’s] backflip [on uranium sales to India] has been met with dismay.
power debate in India has never been fiercer – or opposition greater….. confidence worldwide in the nuclear industry has plummeted since the Japanese tsunami in March triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
In India, where its nuclear capability has traditionally stirred great national pride, Fukushima gave meaning and pictures to environmentalists’ warnings. “People are realising that if something like this can happen in Japan, where everything runs on time, it can definitely happen here,” Greenpeace India nuclear spokeswoman Karuna Raina says…..
People are deeply concerned because they haven’t been told how safety will be assured. What started off as localised protests is now knitting together into an all-India anti-nuclear movement.
While India’s government aims to ramp up nuclear energy to 25 per cent of all generated power by 2050 (from less than 3 per cent today), some analysts have warned there will be few commercial opportunities in the short term for Australian uranium, given India has already signed supply contracts with six other nations…..
he says India’s nuclear ambitions are “highly unrealistic”, pointing to the 2008 projections of the then Atomic Energy Commission chairman that nuclear could even be as high as half of all power by 2050. “Dr (Anil) Kakodkar projected that India would be generating 650,000MW of nuclear power by 2050. That’s 650 1000MW nuclear reactors,” he says. “You would almost need to evict the entire fishermen population of India.”…….. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/heat-rises-beyond-the-smog/story-e6frg6z6-1226206437691
Australia has now weakened its case to get on the United Nations Security Council
Opposition was led by Norway, Austria, and Mexico, with powerful support from the Cluster Munition Coalition, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and a large number of UN agencies, notably the UN Development Program, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Which got me to thinking about Australia’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council.
It its core pitch document, Australia prioritises active participation in “international peace and security” as it’s second highest contribution to the UN over its 65 year history. ….
Australia:…
- initiated the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and, more recently with Japan, the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
Arguably, enough has been done in November to all but unravel Australia’s UN Security Council message that proudly states, ”Australia: We do what we say”.
Obama’s Darwin naval base ….
Cluster munitions ratification
…..the provision in the legislation explicitly permitting stockpiling will remain, and many are rightly worried that a future – or present – government may reneg on their stated commitment. Labor under Rudd and Gillard have, certain WikiLeaks cables have revealed, taken an active role behind the scenes to dilute the standard limiting the production, trasnfer and use of cluster munitions…….
Gillard’s about-turn on uranium ….
..Most worryingly, if approved, this action would go completely against the Australian-sponsored International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament report in 2009:……
Wither Australia’s normative leadership Combined with a perceived level of indifference for the rule of law during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the Gillard governments voting against Palestine’s UNESCO membership, it is inconceivable that Australia may reasonably pitch themselves as principled and responsible international citizens at this time
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 