Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to briefly take note of Senator Canavan's response. I thank him for that. I also understand that there has been a bit of churn in that portfolio, and maybe Mr Frydenberg has taken time to get his head across the issues. Nonetheless, these are immensely serious issues regarding the return of Australian obligated nuclear fuel or reprocessing wastes from nuclear reactor and research reactor operations here in Sydney from reprocessing plants in Europe and elsewhere. I do not propose to detain the chamber for long, but I think it does go to the bigger picture of what is occurring here. And Mr Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition, apparently, rather than outright condemning and putting to rest propositions not just to import Australian obligated nuclear materials from overseas but also to turn outback South Australia into the world's radioactive waste dump—rather than putting Premier Weatherill in his box, in the public interest, and ruling out any proposition to do such a thing—is in fact entertaining the notion.