Antinuclear

A Hawke-Howard team to pacify the anti nuclear natives?

Only Labor can deliver a nuclear waste facility, the Libs would face too much opposition, writes Rex Jory, The Advertiser, February 21, 2016 

DEAR Premier,

You have asked for public feedback about the possible establishment of a nuclear waste repository in South Australia, as outlined by the Scarce Royal Commission.

Clearly, your Cabinet must press ahead with this proposal. The potential financial benefit for SA is $445 billion over 70 years. That’s $445,000,000,000. Every year SA would reap an extra $6 billion.

This sort of opportunity presents itself to governments — indeed Premiers — once in a lifetime……You now have the nuclear cat by the tail. It is yowling. Some people — notably a rowdy minority — are incensed at the mere thought that your government might adopt the nuclear repository option………

No potential user of the facility will invest a cent if there is perceived political opposition — aside from the rowdy minority — now or in the future.

A failure to build consensus is a failure of the project. Unfortunately, previous Labor leaders have publicly and vociferously opposed the nuclear waste repository idea. To reverse this thinking within the Labor Party and the community is your first challenge.

Only a Labor Party can deliver a nuclear waste facility. If the Liberals tried there would be too much political and community opposition. In the 1980s the Liberal plan to establish the Olympic Dam uranium, gold and copper mine would not have proceeded without Labor’s reluctant support.

Why not ask former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke, who supports a waste facility, to head a “persuasion committee” to convince at least some of the waverers, if not the outright opponents, about the benefits of the plan?

Perhaps former Liberal prime minister John Howard would agree to join Mr Hawke to emphasise the need for bipartisanship. It would be worth asking……..

Your final task is to pacify the non-government organisations and particularly the indigenous community. Once again, a Hawke-Howard team would have the status to persuade even the most sceptical opponent

Without a well-planned indigenous community strategy, your best efforts will fail……….http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/only-labor-can-deliver-a-nuclear-waste-facility-the-libs-would-face-too-much-opposition-writes-rex-jory/news-story/50bbf5ce1dd9a33bcc84fec9c0245370

February 22, 2016 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News