What chance for truth at the South Australian Nuclear Parliamentary Inquiry?
Well, not a whole lot, because out of the six members of this Inquiry, only one, Mark Parnell, has an antinuclear position. the other five all belong to political parties that, to put it mildly, are friendly to the nuclear industry:
Hon Tom Kenyon MP Labor’s “ true believer in SA’s nuclear potential”
Mrs Annabel Digance MP – Labor party. well, we all know how Labor MPs toe the party line, no matter what the evidence.
Hon Dennis Hood MLC, of Family First a party that is more interested in matters of personal sexuality, than in wider causes. However, Mr Hood has made his own views clear, in saying ” The stars are aligning for our nuclear future“
Mr Dan van Holst Pellekaan MP Liberal Local Member for Stuart Dan van Holst. Pellekaan said “all options for the future of the town must be explored and if it can be proven to be done safely, then there would be significant benefits for the community“.
Hon Rob Lucas MLC Liberal party . The indications are that Mr Lucas has an open mind, at least where it comes to money matters. He has queried the Nuclear royal Commission’s “pot of gold argument….That is an issue that I am intensely interested in…….The question I have already put to the government representatives and to the government is: what is the true independence of this particular agency?”
Despite some extremely well referenced submissions critiquing the Royal Commission’s pro nuclear findings, we can expect most members of this committee to be more influenced by the glossy submissions that they will have received from nuclear companies.
The Greens’ Mark Parnell will be putting a strong case for opposing the nuclear waste import plan.
The two Liberals will no doubt feel inclined to make some mischief for South Australia’s governing Labor party, even though the Liberals, both State and Federal are enthusiasts for the nuclear industry.
Rob Lucas might pay attention to the growing evidence on the dubious economics of the waste plan.
I don’t know whether or not this Inquiry is supposed has to come up with a unanimous view. Thanks to Mark Parnell, that can’t happen. It would be wishful thinking to expect the others to honestly examine the whole picture. With Rob Lucas worrying about the dodgy finances – they just might be a bit sceptical of the Royal Commission’s plan.
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 