Spetember 16, 2002

Groups Call For Parliamentary Debate, Senate Inquiry

Friends Of The Earth Australia
Australian Peace Committee
Ozpeace

In the light of poll figures showing that three out of four Australians oppose a war with Iraq, Australian peace and anti nuclear weapons groups have called for the Australian government to urge restraint and compliance with international law on the Bush administration. The groups have stressed that it is vital for there to be a full and complete parliamentary and community debate and urged the labor party to support moves in the Senate for a senate inquiry into policy on Iraq, and urged support for a senate motion against a 'first strike' on Iraq.

According to the groups:

"The recent poll shows that in spite of the unremitting propaganda in favor of a first strike on Iraq, the community has the good sense to see the utter hypocrisy of the position of the worlds largest or second largest holder of weapons of mass destruction urging war against a country that may or may not have managed to accumulate some puny and rudimentary stockpile.

Our government needs to send the message back to the US that it must remove the beam from its own eye before it looks at the mote in Saddams eye, and that it must absolutely desist from moves that threaten to wreck the entire framework of the United Nations and international law."

"The Labor Party should demonstrate its commitment to a public debate by wholeheartedly backing moves for a senate inquiry and a motion urging that there be no first strike against Iraq. A full and complete Parliamentary and community debate is essential, and a senate inquiry is utterly key to
that process."

For further information contact:

John Hallam
Ph: (02) 9567 7533

Irene Gale
Ph: (08) 8364 2291