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Will Australia join the treaty to ban Nuclear weapons?

June 15, 2022

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a long-term champion of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, inspired by his late mentor Tom Uren, a former Labor Minister who witnessed the atomic bombing of Nagasaki as a prisoner of war. In proposing the resolution committing to the treaty in 2018, he said the new policy is “Labor at its best” and that “nuclear disarmament is core business for any Labor government worth its name”. In 2016 Albanese launched the Tom Uren Memorial Fund with ICAN, and has spoken out in support of the treaty in parliament, at public events and demonstrations since its negotiation in 2017.

A majority of the new government members have signed the ICAN Parliamentary Pledge to work for Australia to sign and ratify the Treaty. It has been backed by two dozen unions, including the national peak body, the Australian Council of Trade Unions. The Victorian, Tasmanian, Australian Capital Territory, South Australian, Northern Territory and Western Australian Labor branches, as well as over 50 local branches have passed motions declaring their support and calling upon Australia to join the ban without delay. Many have called for signature and ratification to be completed in the first term of the new government.
— “New Prime Minister backs the ban”, ICAN

Old_Notes, Weapons proliferation

ICAN: UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

June 15, 2022

FIRST MEETING OF STATES PARTIES

The world is gathering in Vienna for the landmark first meeting of states parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the fourth Conference on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons and the ICAN Civil Society Forum.

Experts and activists on the ground in Vienna will cross live to four Australian hubs over four nights to discuss, analyse and celebrate the nuclear ban events and the movement to eliminate nuclear weapons.

Join the hybrid events in person in Port Augusta, Fremantle, Brisbane and Melbourne, or tune in via zoom from anywhere around the world.

More details and registration at the ICAN website

SUNDAY 19 JUNE: PORT AUGUSTA

MONDAY 20 JUNE: FREMANTLE

WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE: MEANJIN / BRISBANE

FRIDAY 24 JUNE: NAARM / MELBOURNE

 

AND ONLINE, ALL FOUR NIGHTS

Nuclear, Old_Notes, Weapons proliferation

Zoom talks: Dave Sweeney on Nuclear issues, 6:30pm May 23rd

May 19, 2022

Note: Monday evening’s zoom talk will start half an hour later, at 6:30pm Adelaide time (7pm Melbourne)

Our guest this week is Dave Sweeney, Nuclear free campaigner for the ACF.

Dave will have a look at what’s happening nationally on nuclear issues.
After the initial talk/interview/presentation, we’ll open up for Q&A and further discussion.
Interstate Friends are welcome to join us…

Zoom details:
6:30 – 7:30pm Adelaide / 7- 8pm Melbourne
Monday, May 23rd

Meeting ID: 812 2415 1249
Passcode: friends
Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81224151249?pwd=M0ZjYWkrZ0JzejhTcXUxVUdIU3hjdz09

Nuclear, Old_Notes, Zoom talks

Greens demands for supporting a minority Labor government…

May 18, 2022

Greens leader Adam Bandt, released a $173bn balance-of-power wishlist at the party’s campaign launch on Monday night, outlining seven key concessions it wants from Labor in the event of a minority government.

The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has ruled out doing any deals with the Greens to form government, while Bandt has said the party will not support the Liberals under any circumstance.

But the Greens are preparing their list of key demands for Labor in the event that it falls short of the 76 seats it needs to form majority government, with the party confident of winning at least one seat in Queensland to give it two lower house MPs.

The party’s seven key demands are: no new coal and gas; dental and mental health into Medicare; building 1m affordable homes and better renters’ rights; free childcare; wiping student debt; lifting income support; and progress on all elements of the Uluru statement from the heart.

More details:  “Adam Bandt outlines seven demands for Labor in Greens’ balance-of-power wishlist”, Sarah Martin, The Guardian.

Climate, Old_Notes

“We must wean ourselves off fossil fuels”

May 18, 2022

Joshua S Hill, reports on the NZ climate plan:

New Zealand’s Labour government announced on Monday [may 16th] its “landmark” Emissions Reduction Plan which is designed to set the country on a pathway to meet its 2050 net-zero targets.

The Emissions Reduction Plan targets climate strategies across a range of sectors including transport, energy, waste, building and construction, and agriculture and forestry.

The multi-sector strategy is designed to meet emissions budgets while improving the ability of those relevant sectors to adapt to the effects of climate change.

[…] the Emissions Reduction Plan includes the launch of the Clean Car Upgrade program, which provides targeted assistance to lower- and middle-income households for the uptake of low-emission vehicles.

The EV subsidies are part of $NZ1.2 billion worth of transport sector-specific investments, which also include $NZ350 million for public transport, cycling, and pedestrian access, and an EV leasing scheme trial for low-income families.

The larger Emissions Reduction Plan also includes just over $NZ650 million to decarbonise industry over the next four years.

There is also a further $NZ18 million to fund the development of an energy strategy, a regulatory framework for offshore renewable energy, and a roadmap for the development and use of hydrogen.

On a larger scale, approximately $NZ1 billion will be spent over seven years to decarbonise industry
— more details at “We must wean ourselves off fossil fuels:” New Zealand launches “landmark” climate plan, reneweconomy.com.au

Clean Futures, Climate, Old_Notes