David Johnston (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to deal with Senator Milne’s matter of urgency by expressing deep concern that, following the alleged nuclear test by North Korea, at 4 pm on Tuesday 10 October, the Australian Greens leader Bob Brown and nuclear spokesperson Ms Christine Milne met the ambassador of North Korea, Chon Jae Hong. In a press release dated 11 October, following that meeting, it is expressed that Senator Brown asked the ambassador to explain his government’s actions. In response, the ambassador said:

... North Korea felt vulnerable to a pre-emptive nuclear strike and took its action in response to:

The Bush administration’s abandonment of the arrangement between the Clinton administration and North Korea;

President Bush’s declaring North Korea ‘evil’ and calling for regime change; and

There being 1000 American nuclear weapons deployed in the region coupled with the potential for a pre-emptive strike.

This press release is most curious. It is unclear as to the extent and level of rejection of the North Korean state’s nuclear testing and, indeed, rejection of the regime.