Don't Mention The Waste

How do you have a rational discussion about nuclear energy without discussing waste? What is the point of signing agreements and digging uranium out of the ground if you haven't worked out what you are going to do with it? It is not only irresponsible, it's dangerous!

Mr Downer says the storage of nuclear waste is not on the agenda...

"Nobody's ever mentioned nuclear waste, except in the letter I wrote to the Prime Minister saying that we had no intention of becoming a repository for nuclear waste."

And that's exactly the problem, isn't it?

It reminds me of the Iraq Oil Law the war-mongers are all so mad keen to have signed. Nobody can agree on who will get what, when, how or why, but Washington is still desperately keen for sign-off so they can wave the paper in the air and shout, "Progress!" And then, maybe a decade from now, Big Oil will use its muscle to get those minor clauses about Production Sharing Agreements recognised...

Similarly, if we sign a nuclear pact with the USA now (so Howard can stand at the APEC podium and shout "Progress!") it will come back to bite us in the bum one day.

Just say NO to Nuclear Power, OK kids?