Gorbachev warns Australia against going nuclear

MARK COLVIN: Just a fortnight after John Howard suggested that Australia should consider nuclear power, the former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has expressed grave concern at the idea.

In Brisbane for this weekend's Earth Dialogues forum, Mr Gorbachev has warned that countries should only consider nuclear power if there are no alternatives, and he pointed out that Australia has considerable reserves of coal.

He's also worried about nuclear weapons.

From Brisbane, Melanie Christiansen reports.

(Sound of camera shutters)

MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: With the cameras flashing, the former Soviet leader faced the media in Brisbane today. Now the head of the environment group, Green Cross International, Mikhail Gorbachev will co-host this weekend's Earth Dialogues forum in Brisbane. And one issue on his agenda: concern that countries like Australia might turn to nuclear power.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV (translated): In our country, we have seen the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and this changed our attitude towards nuclear power in a very significant way. I think that building new nuclear power stations may be necessary, but only as a lesser evil, and only in extreme need, should such stations be built.

MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: As to the need in Australia, Mikhail Gorbachev was quick to point to the alternatives here.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV (translated): Of course this country also has a lot of coal. So again, let me just again make a point that building new nuclear power stations is something where every nation should take a very serious, and a very responsible and prudent approach.

MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: But he isn't satisfied with the commitment of governments around the world to more environmentally friendly alternatives.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV (translated): Yet I believe that alternative sources are not available precisely because not enough investment is being made into those new sources of energy, into creating conditions for the use of new power sources.

The Iraq war, for the Iraq war, very quickly 0 billion was found to execute or prosecute that war, whereas we need just billion over 10 years for research into solar power.

MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: But energy isn't the only nuclear concern for Mikhail Gorbachev.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV (translated): One Russian land-based SS18 missile has the power of 100 Chernobyls.

MELANIE CHRISTIANSEN: And with that in mind, he's worried about a new world arms race.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV (translated): But let me also remind you that we still have a lot of nuclear weapons in the world, and we need to get rid of those weapons.

In 1985 President Reagan and I stated that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and that resulted in changes in the security doctrines.

Today, however, we have seen that those doctrines have been changed again, and that once again nuclear weapons are being considered as a first strike weapon.

And I think that it would be totally wrong and unacceptable, intellectually wrong and irresponsible, to start another arms race. That would be like, as we say in Russian, stepping on the same rake again, with the handle of that rake, actually hitting you in the head once again.

MARK COLVIN: Mikhail Gorbachev's translator, ending that report from Melanie Christiansen.

Reporter: Melanie Christiansen

Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 21.07. 2006