Antinuclear

 The Wilderness Society has warned a deal between Prime Minister John Howard and US President George W Bush to join an exclusive global nuclear club would ensure Australia became the dumping ground for the world’s nuclear waste.

While the US has not raised the possibility, the action plan may be a possible ‘announceable’ for President Bush’s visit in September.”

Mr Bush says the partnership, which involves the main nuclear-fuel cycle countries, Russia, the US, France, China and Japan, is central to the world tackling climate change.

A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer confirmed discussions on an agreement focusing on research and development of nuclear technology and safeguards were underway.

He said no decision had been made about Australia joining the broader Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP).

‘Nuclear waste dump’

Wilderness Society’s spokesman Alec Marr noted the report on the previously secret deal followed the Liberal Party’s federal council meeting in June at which it unanimously supported an international waste dump being built in Australia.

“The prime minister says he wants to develop a nuclear industry but he hasn’t been honest about Australia being lined up to become the world’s nuclear waste dump,” Mr Marr said in a statement.

He said recent actions by the government to remove legal barriers to an international nuclear waste dump had led the country to the point of no return.

“The prime minister has misled the Australian public many times over his true intentions for a nuclear industry in Australia and he cannot be trusted now,” Mr Marr said.

“On the final day of parliament last year the federal government rushed through changes to legislation that allowed for the first time radioactive waste to be imported from overseas.”

The prime minister is laying down to President Bush who is desperately seeking somewhere to dump American nuclear waste because he has not been able to build his own in the UN.”