Dr LIM - 1998-12-02
What is his response to the request by the United Nations World Heritage Committee that Australia stop work on the Territory’s job-generating Jabiluka uranium mine project?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the CLP government has been vocal and strident in its comments on this issue. We have heard nothing from those who sit opposite, probably because they are embarrassed because their federal masters in Canberra oppose Jabiluka. The federal ALP would have stopped this mine and would have robbed the Territory of hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars of export earnings, and they sit mute. Even as I speak, they sit mute. They are between a rock and a hard place.
The Leader of the Opposition went on Fred McCue’s radio program and said: ‘We are going to start pointing up the differences between the CLP and the ALP. We are going to show Territorians that we are different’. And what happened? At the first opportunity, you backed down, because even though you don’t believe in Jabiluka, you don’t have the courage to stand up and say it.
I table 2 letters, one to the chief executive officer of Energy Resources of Australia Ltd and the other to our federal colleague, Senator Robert Hill, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, in which we set out very clearly our support for Jabiluka. We are prepared to nail our colours to the mast and we say that Mr Shirvington should ignore this nonsense and send the World Heritage Committee packing.
We support Jabiluka. Jabiluka, like Ranger, is not in Kakadu. The other great myth in this is that traditional Aboriginal owners oppose this mine. They do not. The majority of traditional Aboriginal owners support this mine going ahead.
Mr Ah Kit: You don’t know that.
Mr STONE: They do. Okay, are you prepared to nail your colours to the mast? Then get to your feet and start to indicate where the Labor Party stands on this. None of those who sit with you are prepared to do it. They sit mute. They won’t say a word because they don’t want to upset their mates down in Canberra.
In 1981 and 1992, the traditional owners voted for this project to go ahead and they had the support of the Northern Land Council. So I am not surprised that the member for Arnhem, who is obviously opposed to Jabiluka, doesn’t have the courage to get to his feet and say so publicly.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Arnhem, come to order. You are interjecting far too much.
Mr Ah Kit: He was being provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Don’t provoke me.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, the CLP government has been vocal and strident in its comments on this issue. We have heard nothing from those who sit opposite, probably because they are embarrassed because their federal masters in Canberra oppose Jabiluka. The federal ALP would have stopped this mine and would have robbed the Territory of hundreds of jobs and billions of dollars of export earnings, and they sit mute. Even as I speak, they sit mute. They are between a rock and a hard place.
The Leader of the Opposition went on Fred McCue’s radio program and said: ‘We are going to start pointing up the differences between the CLP and the ALP. We are going to show Territorians that we are different’. And what happened? At the first opportunity, you backed down, because even though you don’t believe in Jabiluka, you don’t have the courage to stand up and say it.
I table 2 letters, one to the chief executive officer of Energy Resources of Australia Ltd and the other to our federal colleague, Senator Robert Hill, Minister for the Environment and Heritage, in which we set out very clearly our support for Jabiluka. We are prepared to nail our colours to the mast and we say that Mr Shirvington should ignore this nonsense and send the World Heritage Committee packing.
We support Jabiluka. Jabiluka, like Ranger, is not in Kakadu. The other great myth in this is that traditional Aboriginal owners oppose this mine. They do not. The majority of traditional Aboriginal owners support this mine going ahead.
Mr Ah Kit: You don’t know that.
Mr STONE: They do. Okay, are you prepared to nail your colours to the mast? Then get to your feet and start to indicate where the Labor Party stands on this. None of those who sit with you are prepared to do it. They sit mute. They won’t say a word because they don’t want to upset their mates down in Canberra.
In 1981 and 1992, the traditional owners voted for this project to go ahead and they had the support of the Northern Land Council. So I am not surprised that the member for Arnhem, who is obviously opposed to Jabiluka, doesn’t have the courage to get to his feet and say so publicly.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Arnhem, come to order. You are interjecting far too much.
Mr Ah Kit: He was being provocative.
Madam SPEAKER: Don’t provoke me.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016