urg:::Japan NWeapons ?; Narangba Food Irrad'n (bit)

[Gavin Mudd]

Posted :Mon, 3 Jun 2002 5:28 AEST

Japan denies reconsidering nuclear weapons policy


The Japanese government has been forced to deny that it has any plans to
revise its anti-nuclear stance.

Japan is the only country to have suffered from an atomic attack.

Since 1967, successive governments have committed themselves to not
producing or possessing nuclear weapons and have refused to allow nuclear
arms into the country.

Over the weekend a senior government official suggested that the three
principles could be revised along with Japan's war-renouncing constitution.

Prime Minster Junichiro Koizumi has been forced to rule out any change,
saying Japan is committed to its anti-nuclear stance and that any
suggestions to the contrary are not worthy of serious discussion.


© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Posted: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 10:25 AEST

Protesters make presence felt at ALP conference


Protesters and a heavy police presence have marked the start of the
morning's session of the ALP state conference on the Gold Coast.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie is speaking to conference delegates while
outside police stand guard over a crowd of about 100 protesters.

Groups making up the numbers include those opposed to a proposedfood
irradiation plant at Narangba north of Brisbane as well as the Citizens
Electoral Council and the Refugee Action Collective.

They are opposed to the construction of a detention centre at Brisbane
suburb Pinkenba.

Out in force in the greatest numbers are Q-Build workers who are in dispute
with the State Government over pay and conditions.

They are one of a number of unions using this weekend's conference to raise
similar concerns with some planning urgency motions put to delegates.

Spokesman Dick Williams says he wants to convince Queensland Labor members
to support a pay rise.

"It's obvious that the ALP conference whilst it's made up of union
delegates, rank and file delegates from the ALP and certainly a lot of
ministers from the Government including the Premier and Deputy Premier, it's
the obvious place that we should be bringing this protest to," Mr Williams
said.


© 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation