Deputy Leader of the Opposition

STATEMENT BY THE ACTING LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, HON TOM UREN, MP

- 10 August 1977

A Judicial Inquiry should be held into grave discrepancies in

statements by Government Ministers about atomic bomb tests at

Maralinga, the Acting Leader of the Opposition, Tom Uren, said

today.

Mr Uren said he was concerned that the Australian people had

been given false information by the Government about the Maralinga

test program.

"The Minister for Environment, Housing and Community

Development, Mr ^wman^^has announced a study by the Australian

Ionising Radiation^ Council of the possible dispersal of radioÂ­

active material in the Maralinga area," Mr Uren said.

"Mr Newman admits that low yield atomic testing continued.at

Maralinga until 1963," Mr Uren said.

"This flagrantly contradicts the Defence Minister, Mr Killen,

who told Parliament on 9 December, 1976, that testing ended in

1955-56."

"If we are to believe Mr Newman, atomic testing at Maralinga

continued for six years beyond the date/ conceded by the Defence

Minister."

"If this is true, then Mr Killen has mislead the Parliament

and the people."

"It is inconceivable that Mr Newman could make a gross error

about the dates of such a vital matter as nuclear tests on

Australian soil." .

"There is another very serious discrepacy

Parliament House. Canberra, A  C  T. 2600

between information

.  . .  / 2

provided by Mr Killen and information from the British Ministry

if Defence." '

Ã¢ÂÂ  Ã¢ÂÂ   t 1 . ,

" I n  A p r i l  t h i s  y e a r ,  M r  K i l l e n  i s s u e d  a l i s t  o f  A u s t r a l i a n

n u c l e a r  t e s t s  s h o w i n g  t h a t  s e v e n  t e s t s  h a d  b e e n  h e l d  a t  M a r a l i n g a

b e t w e e n  4 O c t o b e r  1 9 5 6  a n d  9 O c t o b e r ,  1 9 5 7 . "

"I h a v e  i n  m y  p o s s e s s i o n  a l e t t e r  w r i t t e n  b y  t h e  U n i t e d

K i n g d o m  D e f e n c e  M i n i s t e r ,  M r  F M u l l e y ,  t o  a B r i t i s h  M e m b e r  o f

P a r l i a m e n t . "

" I n  t h i s  l e t t e r  M r  M u l l e y  m a k e s  t h e  f o l l o w i n g  s t a t e m e n t  a b o u t

M a r a l i n g a ,  a n d  I q u o t e :

" T h e  1 9 6 7  c l e a n - u p  o p e r a t i o n  w a s  e x t e n s i v e .  T h e  s i t e  o f

e a c h  n u c l e a r  e x p l o s i o n ,  o f  w h i c h  t h e r e  w e r e  n i n e . . . . "

(My e m p h a s i s )

" W h o  i s  r i g h t ?  M r  K i l l e n  w h o  s a y s  t h e r e  w e r e  s e v e n  t e s t s

o r  M r  M u l l e y  w h o  s a y s  t h e r e  w e r e  n i n e ? "

" W e r e  t w o  t e s t s  c o n d u c t e d  s u r r e p t i t i o u s l y  i n  v i o l a t i o n  o f  t h e

1 9 5 8 - 6 1  m o r a t o r i u m  a n d  w a s  t h e  h o l d i n g  o f  t h e s e  t e s t s  d e l i b e r a t e l y

w i t h h e l d  f r o m  t h e  A u s t r a l i a n  p e o p l e ? "

" O n  t h e  f a c e  o f  i t  t h e r e  h a s  b e e n  a g i g a n t i c  c o v e r - u p  b y

t h e  G o v e r n m e n t  o f  t h e  n a t u r e  a n d  d i m e n s i o n s  o f  t h e  M a r a l i n g a  t e s t

p r o g r a m . "

" T h i s  a c c e n t u a t e s  t h e  f e a r s  w h i c h  h a v e  b e e n  a r o u s e d  o v e r  t h e

p a s t  y e a r  a b o u t  t h e  h a z a r d s  a r i s i n g  f r o m  t h e  s t o r a g e  o f  n u c l e a r

w a s t e s  c r e a t e d  b y  B r i t a i n  a t  M a r a l i n g a . "

" I t  is i m p e r a t i v e  f o r  a p r o p e r  u n d e r s t a n d i n g  b y  t h e  A u s t r a l i a n

p e o p l e  o f  t h e  h a z a r d s  a s s o c i a t e d  w i t h  s t o r a g e  o f  n u c l e a r  w a s t e  t h a t

a l l  o f  t h e  c i r c u m s t a n c e s  o f  t h e  M a r a l i n g a  t e s t  p r o g r a m  b e  f u l l y

i n v e s t i g a t e d . "

" T h e  G o v e r n m e n t  s h o u l d  a p p o i n t  a J u d i c i a l  I n q u i r y ,  p r e f e r a b l y

. . . ./3

Â«-> -  'v

3

a full-scale Royal Commission, to sift the evidence and find out

exactly what happened at Maralinga."

"It should also investigate the irresponsible and ad hoc

approach the Fraser Government has adopted to informing the

Australian people about a crucial issue."

10 August 1977

