Ministerial Statement

NUCLEAR WASTE

The Hon. M.D. RANN (Ramsay—Premier, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Social Inclusion, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sustainability and Climate Change) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.D. RANN: In recent days, attempts have been made to reignite debate about where Australia's nuclear waste should be stored. There have been efforts by our northern neighbours—the Northern Territory—to have the federal government revisit their decision to place Australia's nuclear waste at Muckaty Station in the Northern Territory. In this government's first term, we fought against the nation's nuclear waste being dumped in South Australia and we won. At the time, we were told it was a losing battle. Just remember, go back and look at what was said. There was no point in opposing; it would be a losing battle. We were told that it had no chance in the courts. We were told by our opponents that our challenge would be futile and that it would cost taxpayers an arm and a leg.

But we did not lie down; we put our state first. We fought and we fought and we fought. We fought the illegal acquisition of the land at Arcoona Station, and we won with a three-nil Federal Court decision in South Australia's favour. This was despite many prominent South Australian Liberals backing the nuclear waste dump being put in their own backyard. They actually wanted the nuclear waste dump for the nation located in South Australia. South Australian Senator Nick Minchin led the charge for the Howard government, putting party above state.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. M.D. RANN: 'The best thing to do', says the member for Unley. Make sure that the people of Unley know that the MP for Unley wants South Australia to be the nation's nuclear waste dump. Nick Minchin, of course, is now a born-again greenie, but then he was leading the charge for the Howard government, putting party above state.

The current Leader of the Opposition in this state backed the plan, too, saying that 'putting the nuclear waste dump where it was planned for South Australia was probably the right answer'. They always put their party before their state. How could being a nuclear waste dump for the rest of the nation ever be the right answer for South Australia? We fought, and we won, forcing Senator Nick Minchin and the Howard Liberals—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: —to back off and back down.

Mr Pisoni: You are an embarrassment. You really are an embarrassment.

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. M.D. RANN: Such an embarrassment that Nick Minchin folded the tent, packed it in, gave up and raised the white flag; and so did John Howard. We believe it would jeopardise South Australia's clean, green reputation. We spoke to people in the food and wine industries and, together with our status as the only mainland state to be GM free, that reputation is critically important to marketing our food and wine around the world. So, let me make it very clear to the Northern Territory, or anywhere else, that we are prepared to fight again if any future government tries to put the nuclear waste dump in South Australia—because, unlike members opposite, we will always put the interests of our state before party. That is the difference.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!