MEDIA RELEASE BY HON. LES JOHNSON, M.H.R. FOR HUGHES

OPPOSITION WHIP_____ 7.3.79 ______ ; ________521 6262 '

PENAL PROVISIONS FOR RANGER 3?

Mr, Les Johnson,  M.H.R. for Hughes has been assured that the

penal provisions contained in the Atomic Energy Act and the related

Approved Defence Projects Protection Act 1947 would not be applied

to the Ranger Project as they were enacted for defence purposes.

Mr. Johnson said that this assertion afforded no legal .

proection to any defendant who may be prosecuted when the

commercial project gets underway.

"The Minister's assertion that the penal provisions will not be

applied is no better than the large number of promises made ' by the Fraser Government and subsequently broken", Mr. Johnson said.

Mr. Johnson said that by not enacting new legislation to cover  the Ranger Project the Government had retained the power to

penalise all opposition to the smooth operation of the project

even if at the expense of civil liberties and the well established

rights of trade unions.

