Nuclear Waste

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:52): My question is to the Premier. Is the real reason the Premier rejected the recommendation of the royal commission to remove the legislative constraint prohibiting an international waste dump being established in South Australia that he cannot get cabinet, caucus and Labor Party support for the move?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:52): The reasons—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Kavel is called to order.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: —we are not providing any change are the reasons that have been advanced in the royal commission's report, our public position and all of the things that I have said publicly since.

Mr van Holst Pellekaan interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Stuart is warned.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Let's just go through them. The royal commissioner found in his own report that there needs to be broad social consent for such a change, and there is not such broad social consent for that change. He also suggested that there needed to be a deep and abiding bipartisan position, and the Leader of the Opposition has withdrawn his bipartisan support for this position.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Adelaide is, like the Treasurer, on thin ice.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: We have, of course, reflected on this intensive period over the last two years where we have sought to gain these views. Frankly, views have shifted very substantially in the public's mind. We now see a solid majority of people supporting, for instance, a low-level nuclear waste facility for the whole nation, something which would have been inconceivable a decade ago. We see a plurality of people—so more people than not, not a majority but more people than not—who support the continued discussion in relation to this matter. Those are things which would not have been regarded as even conceivable 10 years ago.

We also have a solid foundation of material around which further discussion continues in relation to this matter. What is extraordinary is that the Leader of the Opposition has, for opportunistic short-term reasons, decided to shut down the community discussion in relation to this matter.