Call on PM Rudd and MP Ferguson to honour the
election committment to repeal the Commonweath Radioactive
Waste Management Act 2006.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has prided himself
on his commitment to keep promises made before the November
2007 federal election. He will need to pull Energy and Resources
minister Martin Ferguson into line. Mr Ferguson is stalling
on the implementation of pre-election promises regarding nuclear
waste management.
The Howard government used its numbers to push through the
Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005, and 2006
amendments, through Parliament. Labor opposed the Act and
the amendments and promised to repeal the legislation if elected
to government. However last month (15/4/08), Mr Ferguson responded
to written Senate questions by stating that repeal of the
legislation is "under consideration". Therefore
it must also be true that another option "under consideration"
is to maintain the Act and therefore break an unequivocal
pre-election promise.
Mr Ferguson is also in breach of Labor's commitment to address
radioactive waste management issues in a manner which is "scientific,
transparent, accountable, fair and allows access to appeal
mechanisms" and to "ensure full community consultation
in radioactive waste decision-making processes".
In addition to his breaches of Labor policy commitments,
Mr Ferguson has made patronising comments about Aboriginal
people, and he has made numerous demonstrably false statements
on issues relating directly to his energy and resources portfolio,
calling into question the wisdom of Mr Rudd's decision to
appoint Mr Ferguson to the portfolio.
Click here to send a letter to Mr.Rudd and Mr.Ferguson.
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