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The background to this action is given in a release from NANA - the Northern suburbs Anti-Nuclear Alliance:
Friends of the Earth, the Northern Suburbs Anti-Nuclear Alliance and friends invite you to join a peaceful protest at the office of federal resources and industry minister and Batman MP, Martin Ferguson.

One urgent reason for this protest is that Ferguson is considering breaking a clear-cut Labor promise to repeal draconian Howard government legislation, the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act. This Act:

• Overrides the Aboriginal Land Rights Act, prevents the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984 from having effect during investigation of potential dump sites, and excludes the Native Title Act 1993 from operating at all.
• Removes rights to "procedural fairness" and rights of appeal under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act.
• Overrides NT laws prohibiting transport and storage of nuclear waste.
• Does away with a raft of environmental, public health and safety protections.

Mr Ferguson is also in breach of Labor's commitment to address radioactive waste management issues in a manner which is "scientific, transparent, accountable, fair and allows access to appeal mechanisms" and to "ensure full community consultation in radioactive waste decision-making processes". In addition to his breaches of Labor policy commitments, Mr Ferguson has made patronising comments about Aboriginal people, and he has made numerous demonstrably false statements on issues relating directly to his energy and resources portfolio, calling into question the wisdom of Prime Minister Rudd's decision to appoint Mr Ferguson to the portfolio.

Please come to the protest. Please also contact Prime Minister Rudd to ask him to haul this maverick minister into line and to honour Labor's election pledge to repeal the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act!
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600.
Or contact the PM via his website: www.pm.gov.au/contact/index.cfm

Of course there are lots of other reasons to protest at Mr Ferguson's office ... his support for uranium mining and nuclear power, his suggestion that Australia "could be regarded as a good place" for an international high-level nuclear waste dump, his patronising comments about Aboriginal people, his support for that great oxymoron 'clean coal', his hostility to renewable energy ... and more!

Come one, come all to 159 High St at high noon, Wednesday May 7!

Contact: Jim or Michaela at Friends of the Earth 9419 8700.

There is also a briefing paper on the FoE website - www.foe.org.au/anti-nuclear/issues/martin-ferguson