| MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE 16 February 2022
- No nuclear weapons must be allowed into Australia
- Australian Government must adopt NZ policy re refusal of entry of nuclear weapons
IPAN is alarmed that the Secretary of the Department of Defence, Mr. Greg Moriarty, has recently stated he could not rule out that the U.S.A. Strategic B52 bombers which rotate through the Northern Territory could carry nuclear weapons.
Disturbingly, both Mr Moriarty and Foreign Affairs Minister, Ms Penny Wong, have confirmed that “Successive Australian Governments have understood and respected the longstanding US policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons on particular platforms.”
Mr Moriarty also stated that the stationing of nuclear weapons in Australia was prohibited under the South Pacific Nuclear-Free Zone Treaty, but this treaty did not prevent visits by the US bombers.
The Australian Labor party has committed, since 2018, to sign and ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) in Government. More than 100 Australian federal parliamentarians, including the Prime Minister, have pledged their support for the treaty.
While the Government has not yet signed the treaty they should be doing everything they can to move towards supporting it, rather than being complicit with the U.S.A. in its possession of nuclear weapons and bringing them into Australia or transiting through, which would be banned under the TPNW.
“Australians do not want nuclear weapons stationed in or brought into Australia”. “This was a very clear finding from the recently released IPAN Report on the People’s Inquiry into U.S.A led wars and the U.S.A.-alliance” stated IPAN Spokesperson Dr Alison Broinowski, author and former Australian diplomat.
Read Inquiry Report HERE
Seventy-nine per cent of Australians want the TPNW signed and ratified by the Australian government, according to a 2018 Ipsos poll.
The Australian government should follow the lead of close neighbour, New Zealand and refuse entry to any U.S.A. military assets which refuse to deny or confirm that they are carrying nuclear weapons.
This would then ensure that U.S.A. B52 nuclear armed bombers would be refused landing rights at our airfields and U.S.A. warships or submarines would be refused entry to ports, unless they confirmed that they were not carrying nuclear weapons.
“This government should meet their election commitments and sign the TPNW. New Zealand has set an example with this as well.
Australia should take no part in supporting U.S.A. nuclear war preparations or indeed in any of their war preparations”, said Dr Broinowski.
Media Interviews: Dr Alison Broinowski 0422 608 580; Media Liaison: Kathryn Kelly 0417 269 984
Bio: Dr Alison Broinowki: Formerly an Australian diplomat, Alison is the author or editor of 14 books about Australia’s dealings with the world, Asian countries in particular. Alison is a visiting Fellow, Coral Bell School, ANU; Vice President, Australians for War Powers Reform. |
