[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