AUKUS: a disaster waiting to happen

Today we hear from Whadjak Nyungar man Reverend Mitch Garlett and Senator Jordan Steele-John speaking at a Public Meeting at the Perth Library on October 4 that opened the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network's 2024 Conference called 'Sleeping Walking into War?"On Thursday 10th October the controversial Australian Naval Nuclear Power Safety Bills were rushed through parliament without debate after the Labour government secured last minute support from the Coalition to pass the legislation,  sidelining crossbenchers they had been in negotiations with. The Bills establish a nuclear safety framework for the AUKUS nuclear submarines, including a new Naval Nuclear Safety Regulator and transitional arrangements. A Senate Inquiry into the Bills recommended amendments to prevent high level nuclear waste from other countries from being stored in Australia. But while amendments to the bill partially addressed this by preventing storage of spent nuclear fuel, the reprocessed fuel from submarines, as well as any irradiated reactor parts, are still allowed to be stored here under the legislation that passed on Thursday.