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Home Articles Flashpoints ALP COMMITTMENT TO BAN TREATY WELCOMED

ALP COMMITTMENT TO BAN TREATY WELCOMED

Tuesday, 18 December 2018 17:26 John Hallam
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 DEC 18 2018

PEOPLE FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
www.pndnsw.org.au

HUMAN SURVIVAL PROJECT

ALP COMMITTMENT TO BAN TREATY WELCOMED
With the risk of a potentially civilization-ending nuclear war as high as it has ever been, the ALP's commitment today to sign and ratify the Ban Treaty (TPNW) is to be welcomed. Just as important as the TPNW, is the implementation of immediate-term measures to reduce the risk of nuclear war including No First Use commitments, lowering of operational readiness, and measures to ensure that nuclear – armed militaries talk to each other before taking steps that might potentially unleash a holocaust.

It is noteworthy that the ALP commitment to the TPNW seems to have been adopted unanimously. Anthony Albanese is to be congratulated on putting up the motion and on his speech.

The coalition government should take note also: Praiseworthy as the ALP's commitment undoubtedly is (and it will certainly be an electoral asset), what matters in attempting to diminish the risk of a global nuclear holocaust is not WHO does what, but WHAT is done. It is fervently hoped that the ALP decision will place pressure on the coalition government, who seem bereft of worthy initiatives, also to do something to help make it more probable that, ten years down the track we are all still here.

The reduction of nuclear risk and the elimination of nuclear weapons are matters of existential import for Australia. Failure to take clear and effective initiatives in this area place the lives of tens of millions in Australian cities, in jeopardy. The ALP's unanimous decision is to be welcomed as a step in the direction of national and global security.

John Hallam
United Nations Nuclear Disarmament Campaigner
People for Nuclear Disarmament
Human Survival Project
Co-Convener
Abolition 2000 Working Group on Reducing Nuclear Risks
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