Mr GARRETT (12:40 PM) —The last few weeks have marked the 60th anniversary of the detonation of a nuclear weapon, for only the second time, on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, and 6 August was the anniversary of the day the first weapon was dropped, on the city of Hiroshima. Having visited both these cities and having seen the record of their devastated condition, and having talked with the ‘hibakusha’, the victims of those detonations, and over this past decade having witnessed the build-up of nuclear weapons, which are the original weapons of mass destruction, it is apparent that measures to redouble our efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons are needed more than ever.

There are a number of current developments which need to be noted by the House: the Howard government’s plans to impose a raft of uranium mines against the wishes of the recently elected government of the Northern Territory; the Howard government’s position on the seven-nation Norway initiative, following the failure of the recent non-proliferation treaty review conference in New York to make any meaningful progress towards disarmament; the upcoming 60th anniversary of the UN and the Millennium +5 Summit of world leaders; and, finally, the continuing critical challenge of managing the risk of fundamentalist terrorism. All these point out the need for Australia to have a coherent approach to the issue of immediate and mid-term security, both in our region and worldwide.

Part of this approach includes recognising the leaks and failures of the current so-called ‘safeguard system’ in relation to the export of uranium—failures that have been well documented in this House in the past. This is all the more important given the recent announcement by the government in relation to future export of uranium to China. I do not think the full weight of this decision has yet been realised by the public. Any cooperation agreement between Australia and China must ensure that Australian uranium is used exclusively for so-called ‘peaceful purposes’ and Labor has urged the government to adopt ‘an open and consultative approach to the development of this cooperation agreement’.

Firstly, any agreement must recognise and address the already existing deficiencies and flaws in the current system of monitoring the journey of uranium exported from Australia. Secondly, any agreement must take into account the serious reservations expressed this week by the US Arms Control Association, which stated that there is no way Australia can guarantee that our uranium, when sold to China, will not be used for illegal nuclear weapons. Along with this essential component of any Australia-China agreement is the urgent need for renewed efforts towards nuclear disarmament worldwide. The tragic history of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the worrying developments in Iran and the failure of the recent NPT meetings are the clear signs on this issue.

Little has been heard recently in relation to the government’s involvement in the seven-nations initiative, which is sponsored by Norway and includes the United Kingdom and South Africa and which is aimed to address, as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, ‘challenges to the nuclear non-proliferation regime’. We watch this initiative with great interest. In fact, we cautiously welcome it, as it does include a reference to the comprehensive test ban treaty and to nuclear weapons-free zones, but the initiative has, on first reading, a number of deficiencies. There is no reference to the de-alerting of nuclear weapons, an essential first step in reducing tension, little emphasis on disarmament and renewed emphasis on reasserting the inalienable right of states to peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The safeguards regime in relation to so-called ‘peaceful use’ to date has experienced failure. In the future, with the prospects of increased uranium sales to countries such as China, these failures, if they continue, could prove fatal, particularly in the event of interception by terrorists.

If we are not resolute in addressing disarmament, de-alerting nuclear weapons and ensuring that the safeguards regime is watertight—and I express my concern about the possibility of the government not doing that—then our inalienable rights to live in a secure and safe environment, which are a legacy of the terrible experiences of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, remind us of the need for the government to do more in relation to this. I urge the government to press strongly for the following measure to be agreed on during the 14 to 16 September summit of world leaders: committing themselves to the achievement of a total and unequivocal elimination of all nuclear arsenals as agreed during the 2000 non-proliferation treaty review conference. This is the task that faces the government. It is an urgent task. We look forward to their action.