Mr MILLS - 2011-03-30
In 2008, you welcomed the successful application by joint venture Cameco Paladin to explore proven uranium deposits in Central Australia. I table the media release of 2008 to which I refer. You continued:
Two years later, you performed a backflip of breathtaking dimensions and, in the process, you seriously reduced the Territory’s attractiveness for investment and heightened our sovereign risk. If you are so opposed to the Angela Pamela uranium mine, why has your government not withdrawn Cameco’s exploration licence when you had the power to do so?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, talk about leading with your chin. We did remove the EL over the siting of the potential Angela Pamela uranium mine. I said in debate this morning that we have listened long and hard to the community in Alice Springs. A point and a reality check here for the Leader of the Opposition: the government issued an exploration licence - not a mining lease - an exploration licence. There is absolutely no guarantee when a government issues an exploration licence that automatically approval will be granted to mine anything in the Northern Territory.
After listening to the people of Alice Springs, who are very genuine in their concerns about this mine, we took a very tough decision and said that, in the event Cameco moved to apply for a mining lease, we would say to the Commonwealth government, which is the authorising and approving government for uranium mines in the Territory, that we would oppose that. We have been very loud and clear in listening to this community. I have met with Cameco and said we, as a government, would not support any application to the Commonwealth for a uranium mine 20 km from the doorsteps of people in Alice Springs.
Overwhelmingly, over many years in Alice Springs, not only the radical green fringe, but the middle and common ground in Alice Springs do not support that uranium mine.
Let us look at the conflicting and hypocritical positions from members opposite on this particular …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Henderson: You just do not want to hear the truth, member for Port Darwin. You do not want to hear the truth.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: You still have not answered the question, which was why have you not withdrawn the exploration licence if you are serious about this?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: I have already answered that, Madam Speaker. An exploration lease is totally separate to a mining lease. It does not involve mining …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Let us look at the hypocrisy and the lack of leadership from the Liberal Party in the Northern Territory ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Henderson: They are just trying to run the clock down, Madam Speaker, because they do not want to hear the outcome of the story.
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause. Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: The view of the Chief Minister is that he has answered the question. It has not been answered. Why has the exploration licence not been withdrawn by this government?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, come to the point please.
Mr HENDERSON: It is very simple. We have issued an exploration licence and, under the terms of that licence, the company is entitled to explore but it is not entitled to mine. We have said that if there was an application to mine, we would not support that. I will come back with a dorothy dixer about the opposition’s absolutely deceptive and deceitful position on this in Alice Springs, and the total lack of leadership from the Leader of the Opposition.
- This is a huge stride towards potentially billions of dollars worth of economic opportunity and jobs for the Territory.
…
This is truly a significant day for the future of Alice Springs – the exploration phase alone will inject millions of dollars into the economy, creating jobs for Territorians and business opportunities for support and supply services to the project.
Two years later, you performed a backflip of breathtaking dimensions and, in the process, you seriously reduced the Territory’s attractiveness for investment and heightened our sovereign risk. If you are so opposed to the Angela Pamela uranium mine, why has your government not withdrawn Cameco’s exploration licence when you had the power to do so?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, talk about leading with your chin. We did remove the EL over the siting of the potential Angela Pamela uranium mine. I said in debate this morning that we have listened long and hard to the community in Alice Springs. A point and a reality check here for the Leader of the Opposition: the government issued an exploration licence - not a mining lease - an exploration licence. There is absolutely no guarantee when a government issues an exploration licence that automatically approval will be granted to mine anything in the Northern Territory.
After listening to the people of Alice Springs, who are very genuine in their concerns about this mine, we took a very tough decision and said that, in the event Cameco moved to apply for a mining lease, we would say to the Commonwealth government, which is the authorising and approving government for uranium mines in the Territory, that we would oppose that. We have been very loud and clear in listening to this community. I have met with Cameco and said we, as a government, would not support any application to the Commonwealth for a uranium mine 20 km from the doorsteps of people in Alice Springs.
Overwhelmingly, over many years in Alice Springs, not only the radical green fringe, but the middle and common ground in Alice Springs do not support that uranium mine.
Let us look at the conflicting and hypocritical positions from members opposite on this particular …
Mr ELFERINK: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Henderson: You just do not want to hear the truth, member for Port Darwin. You do not want to hear the truth.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr ELFERINK: You still have not answered the question, which was why have you not withdrawn the exploration licence if you are serious about this?
Madam SPEAKER: Member for Port Darwin, resume your seat.
Mr HENDERSON: I have already answered that, Madam Speaker. An exploration lease is totally separate to a mining lease. It does not involve mining …
Members interjecting.
Madam SPEAKER: Order!
Mr HENDERSON: Let us look at the hypocrisy and the lack of leadership from the Liberal Party in the Northern Territory ...
Mr MILLS: A point of order, Madam Speaker!
Mr Henderson: They are just trying to run the clock down, Madam Speaker, because they do not want to hear the outcome of the story.
Madam SPEAKER: Please pause. Order! Order!
Mr MILLS: The view of the Chief Minister is that he has answered the question. It has not been answered. Why has the exploration licence not been withdrawn by this government?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, come to the point please.
Mr HENDERSON: It is very simple. We have issued an exploration licence and, under the terms of that licence, the company is entitled to explore but it is not entitled to mine. We have said that if there was an application to mine, we would not support that. I will come back with a dorothy dixer about the opposition’s absolutely deceptive and deceitful position on this in Alice Springs, and the total lack of leadership from the Leader of the Opposition.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016