Comments on Defence Legislation Amendment (Naval Nuclear Propulsion) Bill 2023

 

Amendments – to both the EPBC and ARPNS Acts – to exclude ‘a naval nuclear propulsion plant related to use in a conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine’ are qualified by our Defence Minister, Richard Marles as necessary because this is a defence matter not a civil matter and should not be included in these domestic laws. This is a disgraceful thing to suggest!

 Equally, the Defence Minister – no doubt instructed by US military advisers – sees these current legislations as a threat to Australia’s safety from ‘civil nuclear power’ prohibitions because he considers such submarines and their infrastructure are defence related and not civil related. This is a disgraceful absurdity!

To carry the absurdity further, apparently Australians shouldn’t be concerned about the nuclear -propelled submarines because there will be a new Regulator under these Acts – ‘ a new independent statutory regulator: the Australian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Safety Regulator’. Why under these civil legislations? Why isn’t all of this promoted under defence-related laws?

There have been a lot of quick, poorly-researched defence matters put forward lately to confuse us on what is ‘just war’ and what is unjustified.

Let’s be clear on this – is the Minister really suggesting that we change our laws to store nuclear waste from foreign nuclear powered military infrastructure and vessels and to not concern ourselves because it will be safe? These war machines will be under fire when threatening national interests of other nations. Their nuclear power plants will be damaged. If they return to Australia, how do we manage the hazard? How do we even bury the no-longer useful nuclear power plant when other nations haven’t succeeded in doing this safely or effectively?

None of this government’s dangerous ‘defence’ waffling makes sense but does anything that Marles says make any sense anyway? The 1st and 2nd Reading speeches show him to be a first-rate idiot who uses words in a form of religious faith-based dogma – as if they will carry everything smoothly into a safe and certain world beyond the catastrophically climate-changing world we already have.

Even in a science-based society, we have Chemical Regulators and Weeds Regulators who can do nothing to stop chemical spills or pollution or poisoning or massive fires from flammable weeds because they have no backing of adequate government funds and there is no government will or duty of care to fight against these wars on nature.

 Minister Marles also says – over and over again – we need these war-motivated changes to our ‘civil’ legislations in a rapidly changing world but gives no evidence of why.  Let’s face it, he’ll be dead by the time we get these submarines – if we do. Why should he care?

 What these proposed changes do is add to the chance that US and UK storage and maintenance of existing nuclear subs – propelled or otherwise – can be carried out here – whether Australia has any submarines or not.

I was in the RAAF for 6 years as a young man. Even then I loved the natural environment and was deeply concerned about nuclear energy.  I’m not sure why this privileged product of a private school education with no experience in practical defence matters is so intent on destroying the world. Then again, this sort of perversion has been pushed by privileged elites who believe they will be safe in their bomb shelters.

Suddenly this wide-eyed private school boy has the power to overturn years of considered and science-based evidence of the catastrophic effects of involving Australia in a nuclear war – and he’s running with it!

There’s a lot more I can say in my anger and disappointment at the stupidity of a government we thought we could trust after the toxic Morrison years.

But, I’ll finish with this:

Ø  It makes no sense to have these changes because we have no enemy (except the US and UK neo-colonialists).

Ø  We have no need for these useless and toxic submarines to defend Australia.

Ø  Australia is supposed to be a democracy – of the people, by the people, for the people.

There has been more and more secret business that excludes the people and most of our elected representatives in every level of defence law and activity. I don’t like that at all. This is anti-social behaviour from potential war criminals.

Ø  How will a new Australian Nuclear-Powered Submarine Safety Regulator protect our health and safety should a nuclear-fueled enemy surface from the murky, offensive waters of our American ‘alliance’ or surrogacy?

Ø  Will the new ‘independent’ Regulator be a retired or even serving senior American military officer as so many of the ‘independent’ advisers currently are in our sovereign nation?

The whole thing is ridiculous! Nothing has changed on our defence front except the propaganda that feeds us on fear and loathing. We’re happy to trade with nations and peoples different to us.

Our ‘leaders’ religiously exploit imaginary ‘shared values’ with European leaders across the other side of the world. We have more in common with our Asian neighbours.

 I’ve been living in the tropical part of the NT for most of my life. I love it for its climate and natural environment and I get angry and activist when people who don’t live here and don’t want to because it’s too hot, try to destroy what I love and protect.

Intrusive US-led military exercising and troop rotation/basing in our Bush backyard destroys my and my neighbour amenity and right to live safely and harmoniously with Country and the natural environment.

Let us live in peace and tell the American political and military elites to go home, stay home and clean up their own backyard.

 

Greg Chapman