hawke urged to push for wa uranium ban lift

Hawke urged to push for WA uranium ban lifting
The Federal Member for Kalgoorlie, Barry Haase, has urged former prime minister Bob Hawke to lobby the Western Australian Government to lift its anti-uranium ban.

Mr Hawke says Australia should store the world's nuclear waste and could spend the income it generated on Indigenous people and environmental problems.

The State Government does not allow uranium mining or the storage of nuclear waste in Western Australia.

Mr Haase says while he does not have a position on the storage of nuclear waste in WA, he does believe uranium mining would benefit the state.

"Given that Mr Hawke is so forward thinking he could do West Australians a great service to use his political influence in talking to Dr Gallop's West Australian Labor Government and convince them to move into the modern age by allowing uranium mining," he said.

The chief executive of the Minerals Council, Mitch Hooke, says there needs to be more public debate on the issue.

"Otherwise people tend to be backed into corners ... more of emotional ideology, religious fervour approach to things instead of understanding what are some of the profound facts," he said.

"I mean I think it's a great credit to Bob Hawke to put this kind of thing on the table and have people consider it."