On 4th June 2022 the NSW Teachers Federation passed a resolution in opposition to AUKUS, nuclear submarines, and calling for Australia to sign the nuclear ban treaty, and use the massive $ spent on submarines instead to improve education funding.
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NSW Teachers Federation Council Resolution on Aukus 4 June 2022
RESOLUTION ON AUKUS, NUCLEAR SUBMARINE CONTRACTS AND EDUCATION FUNDING
Federation opposes the announcement made in September 2021 by the former Prime Minister Scott Morrison of a new three-way strategic defence alliance between Australia, the UK and US, initially to build a class of nuclear-propelled submarines, at a cost of $70 billion at an absolute minimum.
Indeed, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute has estimated that the cost could be as high as $170 billion.
Federation notes the wasteful military spending by the former Morrison government, of many millions of dollars in compensation to the French.
The billions wasted on submarines could be far better spent on expanding publicly owned renewable energy assets to fight the climate emergency, and to increase government funding of essential public services including health, education and welfare support.
Only six countries in the world have nuclear submarines, and they all have nuclear power stations.
Advocates for nuclear power and nuclear weapons have been emboldened by the Morrison government’s AUKUS move. The submarines will use highly enriched uranium ideal for nuclear weapons.
The Australian government has repeatedly tried to set up nuclear waste dumps on First Nations lands. The AUKUS deal will only intensify that pressure.
Federation stands in solidarity with workers around Port Kembla and Newcastle fighting off this nuclear threat against their communities, flagged as possible locations for a coastal base for the submarines.
Labor’s lazy bipartisan support of the AUKUS partnership, in Opposition, is of serious concern and serious pressure must now be applied to the incoming Albanese Government to reject this obscene military escalation. Further, the new Prime Minister must take immediate action to fulfil his party’s pre-election promise to finally make Australia a signatory to the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
This motion will be submitted to the next meeting of the AEU Federal Executive for consideration.