Nuclear Weapons

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. I. Pnevmatikos:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges the 75th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which occurred on 6 and 9 August 2020, respectively;

2. Notes that the coronavirus pandemic starkly demonstrates the urgent need for greater international cooperation to address all major threats to the health and welfare of humankind, including the threat of the use of nuclear weapons;

3. Notes that close to 14,000 nuclear weapons are held between nine nations, presenting an unacceptable risk to humanity;

4. Notes the concerning trend in weakening or undermining arms control agreements by nuclear-armed states, including the Iran deal, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty;

5. Notes the substantial progress of the 2017 UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which comprehensively outlaws nuclear weapons and provides a pathway to elimination, towards entry-into-force; and

6. Urges the Australian government to work towards signing and ratifying the TPNW, in line with our international obligations to pursue the elimination of these weapons of mass destruction.

(Continued from 14 October 2020.)

The Hon. C. BONAROS (16:41): I rise to speak in support of the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos's motion urging the Australian government to work towards signing and ratifying the 2017 United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

On the morning of 6 August 1945, the Enola Gay, a United States warplane named after the pilot's own mother, released a devastating and world-changing nuclear bomb, codenamed 'Little Boy', onto the city of Hiroshima. Not that anyone knew it at the time, but it was the ultimate war crime. Three days later, it was Nagasaki's turn. By the end of the year, an estimated 150,000 people had died in Hiroshima, half of those instantly and half in the aftermath, following immense suffering from burns and radiation sickness.

A conservative estimate of 75,000 people met similar fates in Nagasaki. Thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians were indiscriminately killed: innocent men, women and children. Such is the devastation of war. The history books tell us that the aftermath of the bombing was a tragedy in itself. An already starving population suffered from extreme malnutrition. There are horrific recounts of hungry children dying with pebbles in their mouth.

It has been 75 years since the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and sadly today the threat of nuclear weapons still powerfully lingers. The dangerous sleeping giants of the world continually beat their chests, pontificating they are well prepared for nuclear war. Former US President, John F. Kennedy, said it best in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in 1961:

…every inhabitant of this planet must contemplate the day when this planet may no longer be habitable. Every man, woman and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, hanging by the slenderest of threads, capable of being cut at any moment by accident or miscalculation or by madness. The weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us.

Those powerful words are just as relevant today as they were back then, almost 60 years ago. With those haunting words, SA-Best joins the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos in urging the Australian government to take all necessary steps to advance international nuclear disarmament and commends her for moving this motion.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (16:44): I rise on behalf of government members to address the motion. Australia does not possess any nuclear weapons, it is not seeking to become a nuclear weapons state. Australia's core obligations as a non-nuclear weapons state are set out in the UN Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This treaty provides enduring benefits in curtailing proliferation of nuclear weapons, advancing nuclear disarmament and underpinning the right of all nations to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

This major international treaty has been enforced since 1970, and over 190 states are party to it. The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted in 2017, and will come into force when 50 nations have ratified it. To date, 82 have signed and 43 have ratified the treaty. Australia has not supported this ban treaty because it is considered unlikely to eliminate nuclear weapons, it creates parallel obligations to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and is inconsistent with Australia's US alliance obligations. In addition, nuclear armed states have not joined the treaty, and it is expected to remain ineffectual unless these states sign it.

This treaty prohibits participating in any nuclear weapon activities, including undertaking not to develop, test, produce, acquire, possess, stockpile, use or threaten to use nuclear weapons. The treaty also prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territory and the provision of assistance to any state in the conduct of prohibited activities. As I said, this particular treaty is inconsistent with Australia's US Alliance obligations. It is for those reasons the government cannot support the motion.

The government had considered moving an amendment along the following lines:

1. Acknowledges the 75^th anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which occurred on 6 and 9 August 2020, respectively;

2. Notes that the coronavirus pandemic starkly demonstrates the urgent need for greater international cooperation to address all major threats to the health and welfare of humankind, including the threat of the use of nuclear weapons;

3. Notes that close to 14,000 nuclear weapons are held between nine nations, presenting an unacceptable risk to humanity;

4. Notes that Australia does not possess any nuclear weapons and is not seeking to become a nuclear weapons state;

5. Notes that Australia's core obligations as a non-nuclear weapons state are set out in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which includes a solemn undertaking not to acquire nuclear weapons; and

6. Commends the Australian government for its strong support of a progressive approach to advancing nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and developing consensus towards the elimination of nuclear weapons.

The government would have been prepared to support a motion along those terms, but we note that they are quite different from the intentions of the mover and those who support the mover in relation to this particular motion. As I said, the government cannot support this motion for a number of reasons, in particular because it is inconsistent with Australia's US Alliance obligations, to which the Australian government is prepared to defend and support, and the South Australian government supports the Australian government's position in relation to that.

The PRESIDENT: Before I call the Hon. Ms Pnevmatikos, I gather that the Treasurer is not moving that motion?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: No.

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (16:48): I will be brief as I know we have quite extensive business to attend to today. I thank all members for their contributions to this motion. It seems particularly important to be bringing this motion to a vote on Remembrance Day. Today is a day we reflect on the injustices and loss of life that war brings. It is important that we remember past events to create a more just future for all. This future must be without weapons that cause destruction like the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since the motion was put to the chamber, over 150 countries have signed the treaty, and 88 federal politicians have pledged their support to ending the use of nuclear weapons. It is time that this house do the same.

Motion carried.