Media Release – Australians for War Powers Reform (AWPR)
As the world commemorates the 80th anniversary of the horrific bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Albanese government is being urged to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and hold a proper debate in Parliament about the increasing nuclear threat.
The Labor Party adopted a resolution in 2018 committing to sign and ratify the TPNW but despite three years in government the treaty has not been signed.
“Prior to winning government Mr Albanese was fully supportive of the treaty, but since then progress on this matter has been painfully slow” said AWPR spokesperson Peter Murphy.
“Tensions between several nuclear armed countries have been rising dramatically over the last three years and now atomic scientists say humanity is closer than ever to catastrophe.”
“The ‘Doomsday Clock’ of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has now been set at just 89 seconds to midnight.”
Over 200,000 people were killed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 80 years ago, and many thousands more suffered ongoing injuries and radiation effects, after the US dropped atomic bombs on the densely populated cities.
Despite this appalling legacy nine nations still maintain nuclear arsenals and only China has an unconditional “no first use” policy.
Nuclear weapons in Australia – It’s time for a proper debate
It is widely accepted that US bomber aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons regularly visit Australia, but the government maintains a “neither confirm nor deny” policy. This policy should be urgently reviewed by the Albanese government.
“The Australian public has a right to know if nuclear weapons are on Australian soil at any time” Mr Murphy said.
“This nuclear secrecy is completely unwarranted. The government should be transparent and accountable when it comes to foreign countries transporting nuclear weapons through Australia”
“This policy of secrecy and the lack of action on the TPNW should be subjected to scrutiny by all MPs and Senators. AWPR believes that time should be set aside for a significant discussion and debate on these matters in federal parliament.”
“We must use this 80th anniversary to reflect on, and learn the painful lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Failure to do so could be catastrophic,” he concluded.
