Get involved in FoE's anti-nuclear campaign!

See the Contacts and campaign groups page. Use the left hand navigation panel or click here:
www.foe.org.au/campaigns/anti-nuclear/getting-involved 

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June 2008
Repeal racist nuclear dump legislation.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
Postal address: Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600.
Or contact via web-form: <www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm>

RE:
REPEAL OF RACIST NUCLEAR DUMP LAWS
MARTIN FERGUSON BREAKING ELECTION PROMISES

Dear Prime Minister Rudd,

I am writing to ask you to honour Labor's election promise to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005. Labor voted against the legislation and senior Labor MPs described the legislation as extreme, arrogant, heavy-handed, draconian, sorry, sordid, extraordinary and profoundly shameful. The 2007 national ALP conference voted to repeal this Act if Labor won government. 
Yet in answers to recent Senate questions, Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson refused to commit to repeal the legislation.



The Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 and the 2006 amendments:
* allow the imposition of a nuclear waste dump even if there is no consultation with or consent from Traditional Owners;
* limit or completely overrides the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, and the Native Title Act 1993;
* overturn Northern Territory laws prohibiting transport and storage of nuclear waste;
* undermine and override a raft of environmental and public health protections including the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999; and
* remove rights to "procedural fairness" and remove rights of appeal under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act in relation to site nomination and selection.



I ask you to urgently repeal this disgraceful legislation.

I also ask you to ensure that Labor honours its election pledge to handle the radioactive waste issue in a transparent, accountable and fair manner. This promise has been breached by Mr Ferguson. In April, Mr Ferguson refused to provide substantive answers to a large number of Senate questions regarding nuclear waste management. The evasion was so complete that even a question about what specific matters are under consideration was also said to be "under consideration".

In addition to breaking Labor's election promises, Mr Ferguson has made numerous false statements on matters relating directly to his energy and resources portfolio. Therefore I ask you to reconsider your decision to appoint him as Minister for Energy and Resources.


Yours sincerely,
Signature:
Name:
Address:

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Support ICAN

"We are told by some governments that a Nuclear Weapons Convention is premature and unlikely - don't believe it - we were told the same thing about a Mine Ban Treaty." 
                                                      
Jody Williams, Nobel Laureate,  International Campaign to Ban Landmines

Dear Colleagues,

ICAN is a new campaign for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, launched by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and growing daily.  Organisations and individuals are getting involved because nuclear weapons are not like other weapons - there is no other weapon that can kill hundreds of millions of people in a few hours and bring about the end of human civilisation.

Watch our 6 minute ICAN film - feel free to copy and distribute:   http://www.icanw.org/launch-video  

Sign the ICAN petition - it will be presented annually to the nuclear terror states at the UN:    http://www.icanw.org/petition

Get informed about nuclear dangers and solutions:  http://www.icanw.org

Get involved, there are 10 things you can do today:  http://www.icanw.org/take-action

Download Securing our Survival (SOS):  The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention: http://www.icanw.org/publications

The 27,000 nuclear weapons in the hands of 9 States are illegal, immoral and genocidal; they can destroy our cities, health, water catchments and our food chain, and they routinely deplete enormous funds and attention from achieving human security. Nuclear weapons have no legitimate purpose. To possess them and thereby threaten their use is utterly immoral. They are the ultimate weapons of terror.  Its time to outlaw them and get rid of them once and for all. 

WE CAN achieve a nuclear weapon free world
YOU CAN get informed, get involved and get your government moving
THEY CAN negotiate a Nuclear Weapons Convention

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