Page 3916 - Week 10 - Thursday, 20 September 2018
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ICAN is a great reminder of the power of activism, and I also congratulate those who have ridden from Melbourne to Canberra to raise awareness and continue the discussion with the Australian parliament. I thank the Deputy Chief Minister again for her motion and for the timely reminder of what the community working together can achieve.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (12.25): Last night I was very privileged: I attended the peace banquet that welcomed the riders from Melbourne to Canberra with the Nobel Peace Prize. So I have actually seen and touched the Nobel Peace Prize, which was not what I expected to do and it was quite an amazing event.
I also read out to the 50 people at the banquet the calls on part of the motion and to say I was confident that the Assembly would pass it tomorrow. Everybody was really pleased to find that we live in a progressive jurisdiction which believes in international action; believes in activism; believes in peace; and believes that a better world is possible.
I thank the many people of ICAN, including in particular Canberra’s Sue Wareham, for the work they have done over the years in progressing the goal of peace and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Everyone in the world should be in favour of it, and so I commend this motion to the Assembly.
MS CHEYNE (Ginninderra) (12.27): I also support the motion and thank the Deputy Chief Minister for bringing it on. I add my welcome to the arrival in Canberra of the representatives of ICAN on their Nobel peace ride. I add my voice to what has already been said: the Nobel Peace Prize essentially speaks for itself. It is the culmination of ICAN’s persistent and relentless work in advocating for a ban on nuclear disarmament, and it really is a tribute to what the determination of individuals acting together can achieve.
As Minister Rattenbury and others reflected, in the face of ever-more potent nuclear technology and a pretty skittish world, to put it mildly, it is a strong acknowledgement that there is a choice and that all nations can choose and should choose to avoid the mistakes of our past.
I am proud to also note the Australian Labor Party’s recognition of the potential for nuclear weapons to cause catastrophic humanitarian consequences and the urgent need to ensure nuclear disarmament and our steadfast support of the movement since and the many Labor members who have gone on to sign the pledge, including some of us in this place a number of months ago.
I underline what the previous speakers said: that the federal government’s inaction on this, including in congratulating ICAN, is pretty appalling. Hopefully they wake up to themselves over the coming few days, particularly now that ICAN has arrived in Canberra with the prize.
I urge all my colleagues to sign the pledge; it just makes sense. I add my voice by finishing with the most important point I can make, that is, thanking the members of
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