Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Vanstone, the Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training. Is the minister aware of the Minister for Education, Science and Training’s assurance on 2 November that radioactive waste dump sites would not go ahead unless:

... the owners of the land in question have understood the proposal and have consented to the nomination, and that other Aboriginal communities with an interest in the land have also been consulted.

Didn’t Minister Bishop also give an assurance that the government would not proceed with nominated sites if these criteria were not met? Isn’t it true that the government’s proposed laws completely undermine Minister Bishop’s assurances by making it clear that a radioactive waste dump will be able to proceed even if communities are not consulted and do not give their consent? Why should this government be able to ignore the views of a community before it sets up a radioactive waste dump?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, I do not have a brief that enables me to answer the detail of your question and I do not have in front of me either—

Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Don’t you come with briefs any more?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do have briefs but I do not have one that enables me to answer the question nor do I have the text of what the particular minister allegedly said. Senator Crossin, I do not recall having an experience with you where things have been taken out of context but, as a matter of caution, I would have checked it anyway. I will get you an answer very quickly on that matter.

Trish Crossin (NT, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. The government are not having a good day, are they? Can I also ask you to consider this: why is the government denying Northern Territorians any legal right to be consulted before a radioactive waste dump is established? Does this mean that the government are happy to ride roughshod over local communities to get what they want? Perhaps you could answer this, Minister: is this a sign of things to come under the Howard government’s plans for a nuclear Australia?

Amanda Vanstone (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, you may be one of the few people in Australia that do not think Australia should always be looking at what its energy opportunities are for the future. You may be one of the few people that wants to stay like a dinosaur in the past and you may be one of the few people who cannot see the merit in a government quite sensibly, as this government always does, looking to Australia’s long-term national interest.

We will always look to Australia’s long-term national interest. We will not simply, on the basis of an idea we had in the past, refuse to look to the future. Of course we are looking. Of course we have asked for a report to be done. We have received that report and, of course, we will give it proper consideration. By your question, Senator, you confirm every reason why you lot should never be put back over here.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Paul Calvert (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Senators on my left will come to order!