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r/ ANDREW  PEACOCK '  gi-7:1= k  v^. S i ^

LABOR DISUNITY

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At this critical stage of the election, a major split has  emerged in the ranks of the Labor Party on the nuclear  disarmament issue.

Many traditional Labor supporters are clearly gravely  disenchanted with the Hawke Government's position on nuclear  disarmament and the mining and export of Australian uranium.

Mr Hawke has lost all pretence of consensus within Labor's  own ranks as many thousands of disenchanted Labor supporters  Indicate their intention to vote for the new disarmament  splinter party.

Mr Hawke ploughed the nuclear field, sowed the seeds, and now  he is reaping the bitter harvest of disunity.

Mr Hawke accepts the importance of mining uranium under  safeguards so as to honour our commitments under the Nuclear  Non-Proliferation Treaty. Yet at the Labor Party National  Conference in July, Mr Hawke chose to divide and confront

his party on uranium and impose his own cynical, indefensible  policy mish-mash. .

On the one hand Labor's untenable uranium policy encourages  the development of Roxby Downs which could well become one of the  world's major uranium mines.

Then it allows continued operation of two Northern Territory  uranium mines until their existing contracts expire, but not  other Territory uranium mines.

And finally, it completely forbids the development of any  other uranium mines anywhere in Australia.

As it Roxby uranium is somehow different from other uranium.

The Labor Party has publicly acknowledged the necessity of  our participation in the maintenance of a deterrence, and  that it is our involvement with ANZUS and the western alliance  that gives us our standing in the disarmament debate and  allows us to play such an active role. Yet they squirm on  this issue, and to appease the radical Western Australian  branches of the Labor Party they place restrictions on the

frequency and pattern of US naval visits. "

The tension and pressure of Labor's disarray and disunity on  disarmament is quite clear form Mr Hawke's intemperate and  erratic reactions in recent days.

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Don't preach to me# is the reaction of the would-be Messiah  to his disenchanted supporters. No one has the mandate or  right to speak to ME about this issue, he says.

There could be no more damaging development 10 days before an  election than this outbreak of disunity in the Labor Party.

But the real question to be answered is what steps Mr Hawke  will have to take - before and after the election - to save  the situation.

What concessions must be made to the left wing in a last  minute attempt to repair the split?

And what will be the implications of concessions to the.left  on Labor's major policies: on taxation# on government  spending# on the whole range of economic management and  policies for government intervention in our everyday lives.

The Liberal/National policies on both uranium mining and  disarmament and arms control have been presented with clarity  and detail for this election# as have our policies in all  areas of government. .

Whilst the Labor Party has accepted the validity of our  arguments on uranium and the importance of maintaining a  stable deterrence.# .they have implemented their policies in  these areas in an inconsistent and intelligently dishonest

fashion.

Disarmament and arms control are central to the  Liberal/National policy commitment to maintaining an  international environment conducive to a permanent and just  peace.

In a nuclear war there can be no winners, no escape for  neutral nations and no protection in so-called nuclear-free  zones.

In government, the Coalition's initiatives included  Australia's election to the influential United Nations  Committee on Disarmament and the development and  implementation of the strongest safeguards system in the  world. In its future close relations with the United States,  a Liberal/National government will play a constructive and  creative role in addressing disarmament and arms control.

We will work for the broadening of the Nuclear  Non-Proliferation Treaty# a strengthened role for the  International Atomic Energy Agency# and a comprehensive  nuclear test ban treaty. We oppose French testing in the  Pacific. We will also support action to prevent the arms

race spreading into outer space and we ask tne Prime Minister  to explain exactly his involvement with the development ot  star ware technology.

Whilst nuclear disarmament promises the best long-term  solution to avoiding nuclear war# it is only one part ot the  answer. The other is the continuation ot a viable deterrent  as long as it is required. Ac this time# deterrence remains

the only etteccive ana viaoie restrainc.

Meioourne  21 November 19Â«4

