[Greens-Media]
Mon, 17 Sep 2007

Yellow-cake John: Australia quietly signs up to nuclear club

Canberra, Monday 17 September 2007 Australian Greens Climate Change
Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, today condemned the Howard
Government's action in signing up to the Global Nuclear Energy
Partnership overnight, without making any public announcement of that
act.

Senator Milne said "In the dying days of his Government, John Howard
has signed up to George Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership at a
meeting in Austria, seemingly without any public statements that he
has done so.

"GNEP is a truly Orwellian idea - spreading nuclear technology and
resources in the name of preventing nuclear weapons proliferation. It
can and will only make the world a more dangerous place by making the
ingredients for nuclear weapons available to more countries around the
world.

"Having signed onto GNEP with barely a word to the Australian people,
John Howard must now come forward and explain what he has signed us up
for. Will we now be required to store the world's nuclear waste?

"This is a major public debate in Canada, where fears that becoming a
global nuclear waste dump would be a requirement under GNEP have thus
far made them hesitate before agreeing to join the club.

"The decision to sign onto the GNEP agreement overnight has put
nuclear issues fairly and squarely on the election agenda.

"Kevin Rudd must now step forward and commit to repudiating this
agreement if he wins the looming election."

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562

Tim Hollo
Media and Communications Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone: + 61 (0) 2 6277 3063
Mobile: + 61 (0) 437 587 562
Email: tim.hollo@...
Skype: timhollo
www.christinemilne.org.au
www.youtube.com/senatormilne