Jay Weatherill (Labor) and Julie Bishop (Liberal) in unison promoting nuclear power
South Australia calls royal commission on nuclear power, SMH February 8, 2015 David Wroe National security correspondent The South Australian government has called the nation’s first ever royal commission on nuclear fuel, raising the prospect of generating nuclear power in Australia and enriching uranium for export……..
The move is significant, as it could open the door to an expanded role for nuclear power in Australia. It follows a recent call by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop for a fresh discussion about nuclear power, which she said was an “obvious direction” for any country considering how to cut its greenhouse emissions.
Mr Weatherill likewise cited climate change as a key driver of his decision to call a royal commission on the issue, saying that while he had in the past been sceptical of nuclear power, global warming meant he was taking another look………
Mr Weatherill acknowledged that large-scale nuclear energy generation might not be economically viable but said “technological changes are occurring with much smaller nuclear generation plants”……….
He said there could be “extraordinary economic opportunities” for South Australia in storing medium and high-level nuclear waste and also a potential in enriching uranium,” adding value to the ore we send overseas”.
A spokeswoman for Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the federal government’s Energy White Paper was considering all options for Australia’s future energy needs…….http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/south-australia-calls-royal-commission-on-nuclear-power-20150208-1390sc.html
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of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 
What hasn’t been mentioned yet by the pro-nuke lobby is that small nuclear reactors are well suited to submarines. Nuclear subs are on the ALP/LP agenda and supported by Family First, which perhaps should be more accurately named Business First.
Submarines powered by small nuclear reactors is a way of getting 100% Australian/SA government subsidy for prototype reactors despite the fact that both reactors and subs would be built overseas, e.g., France.
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Pro nuke lobby has been beavering away at this for years. Planted Stephan Simons in academia in South Australia for precisely this purpose – to lobby for nuke submarines.
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In today’s announcement that former SA Governor, Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce, was to chair the “Royal Commission”. Scarce made a point of saying that he wouldn’t countenance nuclear submarines. The lead-in to the item on ABC TV referred to no nuclear subs being built in SA. No doubt things will be clarified as we go along but two things stick out. One is, why did Scarce make a point of mentioning nuclear subs? the other is that the Royal Commission only makes recommendations and none of the Commission’s, let alone the Chair’s, decisions are binding on the SA Government.
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