The devious politics of uranium mining – example Arkaroola
To thread their way through environmental protection laws and keep Marathon investing, supporters of mining in the sanctuary have performed a range of unedifying gymnastics.
For years, Labor has joined with Marathon in a flagrant misreading of the SA Development Plan.
SA Labor buckling on Arkaroola uranium?, Green Left Weekly, February 27, 2011By Renfrey Clarke,”……….As insurance against lingering environmentalism among government ministers, Marathon — one of whose largest shareholders is the Chinese mining group CITIC — has brought a suite of former Labor politicians on board. Continue reading
Koch brothers’ influence will reach Australia to fight carbon tax
The nastiest end of the anti-tax campaign will come from a right-wing extremist grouping that includes Fox News’s Glenn Beck and is backed by the notorious Koch brothers. Koch and Koch are oil barons who run the largest private company in the USA and fund climate sceptics, race haters and the Tea Party, with funding tentacles reaching into Australia……
Another step towards renewable energy – Unleashed (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), 25 Feb 2011, “…..The “can’t do” campaign will be meeting in PR war rooms across Australia this morning, deciding how much to spend on lobbying, advertising and astro-turfing. Continue reading
Aboriginal traditional owners challenge Australian government to meet them over nuclear waste dump issue
“Come Out and Camp with Us” Traditional Owners Challenge Government to Meet Over Muckaty Waste Dump, 26 Feb 2011, Muckaty Traditional Owners met outside the offices of the Northern Land Council in Tennant Creek today to protest the passing of the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill through the House of Representatives.
The protest coincided with a federal court mediation in Melbourne about the contested Muckaty site nomination, attended by Traditional Owner Mark Lane Jangala. The Traditional Owners resolved to continue fighting the proposed waste dump and reiterated calls for politicians and the NLC to come to Tennant Creek and meet with the community. Continue reading
Nuclear waste dump imposed on Northern Territory
“Territorians have a right to have the laws passed
by their Parliament respected in the same ways that states’ laws are respected.”
Nuclear dump laws ‘show need for NT statehood’, – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), By Jane Bardon Feb 24, 2011 The imminent passage of national nuclear waste dump legislation is another argument for the Northern Territory to become a state, the Territory’s Statehood Committee says. Continue reading
Julia Gillard playing it smart with carbon tax
This time, Julia Gillard is playing a cannier game. There were almost no policy details released yesterday beyond the decision to implement a fixed price, and the decision to include transport but to leave out agriculture. That left little for industry critics to go on, and allowed Gillard to cleverly foreshadow Abbott’s anti-tax attack.
It’s Getting Hot In Here | newmatilda.com, 25 Feb 2011, By Ben Eltham Whether you call it a carbon tax or a carbon price, the carbon wars are back on. This time round, Gillard is playing it smart on climate policy. Continue reading
Australian Country Liberal MP shows integrity on nuclear waste issue
Ms Griggs has come out against the dump.
Griggs defiant on N-waste NT News | Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia . 24 Feb 2011, TERRITORIANS are probably evenly divided about the Federal Government’s decision to build a nuclear waste dump near Tennant Creek.Some argue that Australia has an obligation to store its nuclear waste properly and the NT Outback is as good a place as any…….
But on one issue there is more agreement – that Canberra should not have the right to impose the dump on Territorians. Continue reading
Martin Ferguson’s cynical National Radioactive Waste Management Bill
The law overrides state, territory and local government laws and allows Resource Minister Martin Ferguson to disregard key environmental and Indigenous safeguards….“Any attempt to apply this law will be actively resisted. The Muckaty dump plan is a bad deal but it is not a done deal.”
Radioactive waste law ‘cynical and irresponsible’, by Dave Sweeney 24 Feb 2011, Legislation designed to smooth the way for the construction of a national radioactive dump on contested Indigenous land at Muckaty, north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, is improper, irresponsible and a broken promise, the Australian Conservation Foundation said today. Continue reading
Australian government rush to legalise nuclear dump on Aboriginal land
He accused the government of attempting to ram legislation through parliament before traditional owners, who are opposed to the dump at Muckaty, launch legal action in the federal court on Friday.
Nuclear dump report a whitewash – Bandt Herald Sun: AAP * February 21, 2011 AUSTRALIA’S first radioactive waste dump has been subject to less oversight than would be deemed appropriate for construction of a car park, parliament has been told. Continue reading
Federal Country Liberal MP stands up for Northern Territory against nuclear waste dump
Griggs fights nuclear dump, NT News, NIGEL ADLAM | February 22nd, 2011 A TERRITORY federal MP is to vote against forcing the NT to house a nuclear waste dump. Member for Solomon Natasha Griggs has said she will vote against a nuclear waste dump in the Northern Territory Continue reading
S.A. govt should come clean on Arkaroola uranium mining policy
Creating a national park would give the SA Premier a boost in the polls, with mining in the sanctuary highly unpopular among voters. However, converting the land to national park would not affect the mining lease. Marathon was recently granted a 12-month extension to its licence at Arkaroola.
National park rumours take toll on SA uranium miner | The Australian, Verity Edwards and Damon Kitney February 21, 2011 1 The value of controversial mining company Marathon Resources has fallen by $4.9 million amid speculation the Rann government will declare the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary a national park. Continue reading
Australian Labor Party’s Nuclear Self-Destruction
If the ALP wants to reverse this trend, re-energise its membership base and win Greens voters back to the Labor fold, the last thing it should be doing is trashing its remaining environmental credentials by adopting a pro-nuclear policy.
Australian Greens giving new hope for solar energy
The Greens say they have ensured $100 million will flow into Solar Flagships within the forwards estimates period (before 2015) with the remainder of the funding to follow. A round table discussion between the government and Greens will convene to discuss how best to utilise solar energy funding into the future, including the role of feed-in tariffs as a necessary mechanism in the uptake of solar energy in Australia….
Australia’s Solar Flagships May Not Be Sunk, Renewable Energy News, by Energy Matters, 18 Feb 2011, The federal government’s Solar Flagships program, which was to have faced the axe to help pay for damage caused by the Queensland floods, is now back on the national agenda after the Australian Greens agreed to support the Prime Minister’s flood levy. Continue reading
Australian Labor Party in the grip of mining companies
The Trouble with Labor, – Westender – Brisbane’s Oldest Independent, Online Newspaper. 15 Feb 2011, Tim Anderson sees trouble ahead for Australia, while we still cling to our illusions about the Labor Party The mining companies – at the centre of the Australian oligarchy – were the main beneficiaries of the East Asian boom, yet have refused to share the benefits. Nor have we demanded it of them. This issue, of course, was behind the coup against Kevin Rudd…. Continue reading
Mining companies’ victory over Australian Government
The stunning victory by the mining houses over the federal government was a victory of renters over owners, and a triumph of misinformation and emotion over logic……..It is worth remembering, too, that some of our richest mines are directly and discretely owned by foreign companies.
An opportunity missed on mining super tax, Sydney Morning Herald, Ian Verrender, February 15, 2011 “…..the most extraordinary transfer of wealth in the nation’s history is taking place right under our noses……Tomorrow BHP Billiton will deliver one of the biggest half-year earnings results in Australian and British history. Continue reading
Martin Ferguson forced to eat his words on uranium to India
No to Indian uranium sales, The Age, Katharine Murphy, February 11, 2011 AUSTRALIA will not sell uranium to India until it signs a nuclear non-proliferation treaty and completes a safeguards agreement, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says. Continue reading
1 This month.
20 September –National Day of Action in Melbourne on the International Day of Peace
Help Aunty Sue Protect Her Land and Sacred Sites From Destructive Rocket Testing.
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about
AUKUS – https://aukuspublicinquiry.com/
PETITION – To: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Australian Labor Government
of the week – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
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