Deputy Leader of the Opposition

STATEMENT BY THE DEPUTY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION, TOM UREN  - 5 September 1977 .  .

Ã¢ÂÂ¢"There are extremely serious implications for workers, trade

unions and the general public in the Fraser Government's decision,

against the advice of the Ranger Commissioners, to use the Atomic

Energy Act as the basis for uranium mining at Ranger. And these

implications have been lost in the flood of words that accompanied

the Government's announcement last, week," the Deputy Leader of the Â·

Opposition, Tom Uren, said today.

"The Fraser Government has.failed to give a satisfactory

explanation of why it chose to ignore.the strong recommendation

of the Ranger Commission.

"But one reading of the.Atomic Energy Act, makes the Government's

reasoning clear.... the Act contains extremely repressive provisions,

that give the Government the power to deny the ordinary industrial

rights of workers and unions associated with the mining, handling

and transportation of uranium.  .

"The Atomic Energy Act may be used to allow the mining companies

to determine the composition and affiliation of its workforce.

"The Act gives the Minister power to regulate entry to, and

order people from the mine site by declaring it a restricted area.

"The Act denies basic civil rights to persons (including workers

and unions) who hinder uranium mining in any w a y ;  on conviction,

penalties range upwards from $1000 fines and/or six months

imprisonment.

A  Â·

"There is power for the police to detain, search and arrest,

without warrant, people who are suspected of interfering with the

project.

.  .  .  / 2

Parliament H ouse. Canberra, A C T. 2600

A person can be arrested for threatening "the security" of the

project; he doesn’t have to be proved guilty of a particular offence

but can be convicted on "the circumstances of the case, his conduct

or his known character as proved" (Section 47)

The Prime Minister's stated intention to collect dossiers

on anti^uranium people may well indicate his intention of using

Section 47 of the Act against his opponents Ã¢ÂÂ

"The Second Ranger Report pointed out quite strongly that the

security provisions of Part IV pf the Atomic Energy Act" seriously

curtail" public access to information about the Ranger project."

.  .. . "The. Act..also prohibits free speech and demonstration against""

the projects, Because uranium mining at Ranger is to be carried out

under the Atomic Energy Act, the Ranger project will also be subject

to the Approved Defence Projects Protection Act (attached.)"

Under this (A.D.P.P.) Act, a person can be fined $1000 to

$10,000 or jailed 6 - 1 2 months for doing anything that hinders or

obstructs the uranium mining project. This includes opposing the

project in', a n y w a y i n c l u d i n g  writing or speaking against it. It

includes the situation where workers or unions decide to boycott

any part of the project, directly or by secondary boycott.

.  "The use of the Atomic Energy Act to cover uranium mining

now makes an outlaw of any worker, union or Australian citizen who

does not fully comply with the mining and export of uranium",

"In deciding to proceed under this Act, in defiance of the

Ranger Commission advice, the Government has signalled its clear intention

of deploying a range of very tough sanctions against mine and

transport workers, trade unions and any Australians actively opposing

uranium mining."

f. '

"The Government's decision is in the tradition it has set for

itself in the recent past, of seeking confrontation with labour and

trade unions, and compiling dossiers on active opponents to uranium

mining and export.

3

ÃÂ½'  ' '

"By defying the Ranger Report, and using the Atomic Energy Act

the Government has demonstrated it is willing to declare the

legislative equivalent of war on any person in the community

who opposes its hasty commitment of Australian uranium to the

unstable and dangerous world nuclear fuel cycle."

5 August 1977

CANBERRA

20 . Application ofÂ·  Approved  D efen ce .

Protection Act.

APPROVED DEFENCE PROJECTS  PROTECTION ACT 1 9 4 7 - 1 9 7 3

An Act to provide for the piotcdivn o f Approved Defence Prtyects, and  for other purposes.

Ã¢ÂÂ¢ 1. This Act may be died as the Appr.neJ D tftn ce Projects Protection ShontMc. Act 1941-1973.Â· ! ÃÂ ÃÂ¯ ÃÂ¯

.  NoitlMl

1  This Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives CommenceÂ­  , ÃÂ . . .  r meet

the Royal Assent1 .

3. In this Act. unless the contrary intention appears- DefinitionÂ»,

“ approved defence project" means any work or undertaking for the ÃÂºÃÂ ÃÂ· ÃÂ¿ÃÂ . , " ‘ testing oflong range weapons which is approved by the Minister *  o f State for Defence by notice in the Gazette as an immediate  defence project and includes any other work or undertaking,

being carried out or to be carried out either within or outside  Australia.for the defence o f Australia or any Territory, which b  so approved as an immediate defence project

4. ( I )  Any person who— (a ) without reasonable cause or excuse— (i) by boycott or threat o f  boycott o f any person, property,  Ã¢ÂÂ¢ work or undertaking prevents, hinders or obstructs, or

endeavours to prevent, hinder or obstruct, the carrying  ou jof an approved defence project; .

(ij) publishes any declaration o f a boycott or threat o f a boy-  9 con by means o f which the carrying out o f an approved  Ã¢ÂÂ¢ defence project is prevented, hindered or obstructed or b   sought to be prevented, hindered or obstructed; or

Prevention,  A c , o f

carrying out  o f  defence  projects.

( ill) ' by speech or writing, advocates or encourages the preÂ­ vention, hindrance or obstruction o f  the carrying out o f  an approved defence project; o r, Â· . ‘

(b ) by violence or threat o f violence to person or property or by  other unlawful means, prevents, hinders or obstructs, or enÂ­ deavours to prevent, hinder or obstruct, the carrying out o f  an  approved defence project, ' Â·

. ' shall be guilty o f an offence. "  ' *

(2 ) An offence against this section may be prosecuted summarily or  upon indictment, but an offender shall not be punished more than once  in respect of the same offence. ‘

410 Approved Defence Projects Protection Act 1947-1973

(3 ) Thepunishment for an offence against this section shall be— (a) if the offence is prosecuted summarily-a fine o f not more than  "  One thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than six months; and ** (b ) if the offence is prosecuted upon indictm ent-a fine o f not more

than Ten thousand dollars or imprisonment for not more than  twelve months, or both.

(4 ) A prosecution for an offence against this section shall not be  instituted except by the Attorney-General or with the consent o f  the Attorney-General or,of a person thereto authorized in writÂ­ ing by the Attorney-General

NOTE

I. The Approved Defence Projects Protection Act 1947-1973 compriseÂ» the ApÂ­ proved Defence Projects Protection Act 1947 as amended by the other Acts  specified ÃÂ¯ÃÂ¿ the following table:

N u m b e r T W Â« f

A a  Â· D a t e  o f  A s  s e n t c o m m e n c e m e n t '

A p p r o v e d  D e f e n c e  P r o je c ts

P r o te c tio n  A c t  1 9 4 7

S t a t u t e  L a w  R e v i s i o n

Ã¢ÂÂ¢ ( O r t i m o t  C u r r e n c y )  A c t

'  1 9 6 6

N o .4 7 . 1 9 4 7 12 J u n e  1 9 4 7 . 12 J u n e  1 9 4 7

N o .  9 3 . 1 9 6 6 2 9 0 ÃÂ±  1 9 6 6 1 D e c  1 9 6 6

S t a t u t e  L a w  R e v i s i o n  A c t

1 9 7 1

N o . 2 1 6 . 1 9 7 3 ! 9 D e c  1 9 7 3 31 D e c  1 9 7 3

As to the appliestioo o f the Approved Defence Projects Protection Act  1947-1973 to works carried out by or on behalf of the Australian Atomic Energy  Commission, see the Atomic Energy Acs 1953-1973, s. 60.

Atomic Energy Act 1953-1966

and in'rJr Appro\ f d Defence Projects Protection Act 1947 applies to  sion as if t W  i carr-,ed " out b3' or on behalf of the Comrais-;ng of that A ct.UOrkS 3ppTOyed defence PrÂ°jects within the mean-

