MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE 11 February 2023
- Trade unions and others strongly oppose AUKUS and nuclear submarines
- Plea for Government to urgently listen to the community on AUKUS
The findings of the Parliamentary Inquiry into the AUKUS trilateral security pact (between Australia, the UK and the US) and the acquisition of nuclear-propelled submarines are about to be released by the Federal Labor government, amidst some major community concerns.
The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) believes that the deep concerns coming from the Australian community, including Labor’s traditional union allies, must be listened to.
“There’s no guarantee in the agreement that jobs will be available for local workers or that profits will remain in the Australian economy,” says ETU Queensland and Northern Territory Divisional State Secretary Peter Ong. “We’re in a pivotal time for a switch to renewable energy, which will require government investment. Money should be going to emerging industries and training future tradespeople, not pacts facilitated by the previous, incompetent, anti-worker government“.
As reported recently the Sydney Morning Herald the Australian Shipbuilding Federation of Unions is concerned about a possible capability gap when the current submarine fleet is phased out and also fear the AUKUS pact will not deliver the number of Australian manufacturing jobs that have been promised.
Unions NSW are totally opposed to the development of nuclear-powered submarines as part of a military alliance with the UK and US. In 2022, they pledged their opposition to the development of both nuclear propelled submarines and any other nuclear industry in Australia.
The recently released IPAN Report on the People’s Inquiry into US led wars and the US-alliance also highlighted the community concerns regarding AUKUS. In particular, the NTEU Queensland Division arguing that the chronic underfunding that has plagued tertiary education for decades could be addressed if the Federal Government was prepared to re-think the commitment of billions of dollars to the alliance with the US, including the AUKUS developments, which have thrown away further billions of dollars.
The NSW Teachers Federation State Council also oppose the AUKUS alliance and have expressed their solidarity with workers around Port Kembla and Newcastle fighting off the nuclear threat against their communities which have been flagged as possible candidates for a coastal base for the submarines.
The Federation believes the proposed $170 billion outlay would be much better spent in expanding renewable energy assets to address the climate emergency and fund essential public services in health, education and welfare support
In addition, a petition with 27,000 signatures was presented to the Senate in September last year highlighting significant concerns in the broader community that AUKUS will make Australia even more dependent on the US and less extricable from its wars.
“These wide ranging, compelling logical and profoundly negative reactions from diverse sections of the community
should have made it clear to the government that we don’t want the AUKUS and the nuclear submarine deal. The “nuclearisation” and further militarisation of Australia is not just expensive, lacking common sense and dangerous but against the wishes of a large and diverse range of citizens“, stated Chair of the IPAN People’s Inquiry Ms Kellie Tranter .
IPAN calls for a radical change in government spending priorities from nuclear-propelled submarines and preparations for warfare to a genuine self defence for Australia rather than total reliance on the US and a redirection of some of the funding towards healthcare and urgent social needs.
Media Interviews: Kellie Tranter 0402 103 751 or Shirley Winton 0417 456 001