Senator TAMBLING (5:32 PM) —With regard to the comment just raised by Senator Margetts, I am advised that it is the waste of another country. With regard to comments made by Senator Stott Despoja, the Democrats' amendments provide that the CEO must not issue a facility licence in connection with a nuclear waste storage or disposal facility operated for commercial purposes. The purpose of this bill is to regulate all Commonwealth radiation and nuclear activities. The issue whether an activity is commercial or not is completely irrelevant. Further, the meaning of the term `commercial' is not defined and could be expected to impinge on the government's capacity to appropriately recover the costs associated with, for example, any waste repository.

By opposing the amendments, the government is ensuring that, regardless of the commercial footing of any activity, it will be controlled and regulated—a significant improvement on the current situation. I also wish to reiterate Senator Minchin's comments in this chamber that it is not government policy and will not be government policy to accept radioactive waste from other countries.