P A R L I A M E N T .  OF A U S T R A L I A

H O U S E  OF R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

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STATEMENT BY TOM UREN MP, OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN.FOR.URBAN.AND.REGIONAL.AFFAIRS

UREN ATTACKS SECRECY OF INTERNAL INQUIRY INTO ATOMIC ENERGY ACT

Last week's announcement by th e  Deputy Prime M in is te r  o f a re vie w  in to  th e

Atomic Energy Act and r e la te d  m a tte rs  is  an admission th a t th e  uranium in d u s try

is  f u l l  o f problems. But th e  re vie w  is  a d esperate a tte m p t to  overcome those

problems which h in d e r uranium development w ith  a minimum o f p u b lic  s c r u tin y .

The terms o f re fe re n c e  o f th e  review  a re  rem arkably broad ra n g in g . They cover

te n  Acts o f P arlia m en t and in c lu d e  c o n s id e ra tio n s  r e la t in g  to  n u c le a r s a fe g u a rd s ,,

environm ental p r o te c tio n , physical s e c u r it y , U .S . a n t it r u s t  la w s , d e fe n ce ,

n u c le a r research and th e  e ffe c ts  o f uranium m ining on A b o rig in a l com m unities.

Yet the review  is  to  be completed in  o n ly  fo u r months and a t  th e  tim e o f a

Federal e le c tio n . And th e re  is  no in d ic a tio n  th a t i t  w i l l  be open to  p u b lic

comment nor th a t th e  views expressed by m ining companies, in te r n a tio n a l fin a n c ie r s

and the bureaucracy w i ll  be open to  p u b lic  s c ru tin y .

The Government's uranium and n u c le a r p o lic ie s  have been marred by many problem s,

f o r  example:

-  the Government in  seeking to  promote uranium exports has w atered down i t s

n u c lea r safeguards on f iv e  occasions;

-  i t  has found i t  necessary to  amend th e  Atomic Energy Act f i v e  tim e s ;

-  th e  t h e f t  o f yellow cake from Mary K athleen has been a lle g e d ;

-  th e re  has been considerable^concern expressed by th e  New South Wales Ã¢ÂÂ¢ d i. - .

Government and re s id e n ts  over th e  s a fe ty  o f th e  Lucas H eights Research

E stablishm ent;

th e re  has been ongoing re s is ta n c e  by A b o rig in a l people to  th e  m ining o f t h e i r

land and the d is ru p tio n  o f t h e i r  com m unities.

The problems a ss o c iate d  w ith  uranium m ining have been p ointed out by Labor

spokesmen f o r  over fo u r y e a rs . But th e  Government has done nothing to  solve these

problems. Every step i t  has taken has been to  a id  the mining in te r e s ts  and

f a c i l i t a t e  uranium developm ent. C le a r ly  th e  purpose o f th is  review  is  to  overcome

the d i f f i c u l t i e s  faced by th e  uranium m ining companies and in te r n a t io n a l fin a n c ie r s

because o f an accum ulation o f problems in  th e  in d u s try .

I t  is  also  c le a r  th a t th e  Government seeks to  l i m i t  th e  powers o f an A u s tra lia n

Labor P arty  Government re g a rd in g  uranium m in in g . No le g is la t io n  w i l l  p re ve n t a

Labor Government from re p u d ia tin g  any commitment o f a non-Labor Government to  the

mining and e xp o rt o f uranium.

CANBERRA Sunday 24 August 1980

