



Christine Milne

Australian Senate Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania



media release

UN Disarmament Week starts with  increasing war rhetoric  Greens say stop nuclear escalation now

Hobart, Wednesday 24 October 2007  Australian Greens Climate and Energy  Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, marked the beginning of UN Disarmament Week  today by calling on both the Prime Minister and Kevin Rudd to repudiate the proposed  expansion of uranium exports and for Australia to lead negotiations towards a treaty to  abolish nuclear weapons.



The UN week is timely given rapidly accelerating rhetoric of war between the US and Iran  over nuclear issues, and recent revelations of military strikes by Israel against Syria, also  over nuclear developments.

Senator Milne said "While ever we have a nuclear industry, we will always face the  catastrophe of nuclear war. While ever we expand our use of uranium, we increase the  threat of nuclear weapons proliferation and the risk of nuclear terrorism. This is especially  so as energy security becomes front and centre of geopolitics.

"Already, Mr Howard and President Bush's enthusiasm for undermining the Non-Proliferation Treaty with the US-India nuclear deal has destabilised the Indian sub-continent with the Singh Government on the point of collapse.

"The world should also be worried that President Putin has announced a "grandiose plan"  to escalate Russia's military expansion, including new nuclear weapons, so that it can  defend its energy reserves at home and abroad. Both the Government and Opposition  should immediately repudiate their plans to sell Russia uranium.

"The only way to rein in the nuclear threat is to leave all the uranium in the ground, move  to alternative energy sources, negotiate a treaty to abolish nuclear weapons and  effectively fund the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that all nuclear material  is securely accounted for.

"The USA's refusal to countenance Iran's development of nuclear power makes a lie of  the claim by nuclear power's advocates that it does not increase the risk of weapons  proliferation. In almost every case, the development of nuclear power has been used as a  cover for nuclear weapons programs. The two are forever intertwined and, until we move  away from nuclear power, we cannot truly begin to rid ourselves of the threat of nuclear  weapons.

"As well as stepping away from the global trade in uranium, Australia should take a  leadership role on the world stage, working to increase the funding for the International  Atomic Energy Agency, which currently is expected to safeguard the world's stock of  nuclear materials with a budget smaller than many metropolitan police forces', and  negotiating a treaty to abolish nuclear weapons.

CONTINUES OVER

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562





Christine Milne

Australian Senate Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania



media release



"The Greens are 100% behind the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons,  which is supported by former Judge of the International Court of Justice, Christopher  Weeramantry, and many others.

"Uranium mining itself is a water- and energy-guzzler and only employs 700 people  across Australia. Currently, our uranium export earnings are dwarfed by our cheese  exports. This is not an industry that plays a major role in our economic good fortune and  neither should it.

"The time has come to end Australia's participation in this deadly trade and work to  replace it around the world with the clean, sustainable and safe alternatives or energy  efficiency and renewable energy."

ENDS

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562

