PRiME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA~ MO NDAY, 7 JUNBE 1982
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT THREAT TO BAN NUCLEAR SHIPS
I regret deeply the unilateral statement by the
Premier of Victoria that his Government proposes to
0 enact legislation to seek to bai nuclear powereed vessels
or vessels with nuclear armaments from Victorian
ports. This could have grave and far-reaching implications
-n an its relationshipswithits
allies. I regret also the fact that the Premier of Victoria saw
fit to make a public announcement on this matter before
completing consultation with the Commonwealtl) Government
oft--it. I. am therefore taking the unusual step of
rele~ sing the correspondence which -has taken place-between
the Premier of Victoria and me on the subject.
0 I an advised that the Comnonwealth has the ultimate
constitutional power. .1 Lm therefore seeking urgent
advice as to whether legislation may be necessary to put
thatbeyond any doubt, to ensure that the Government
is able to carry out its constitutional responsibilities
for the defence of Australia.
PREMIlER OF
s TflEAsuRY PLACC
916/ 10/ 1 # cun. VIC. 30 D?.
pol FlAY1, cs
Dear Mr. Fraser, Visits to VictorTAAAI tclear Powa~ rcd
and Nuclear Armed Warships
1 hiave been advised that until early in 1980 it
had been the practice in the case of proposed visits to
Victoria by nuclear powered warships for the Prime Minister
to write to my predecessors as Premier seeking their
concurrence. Since February, 1980, arrangemints for routine
v'isits to Victoria by nuclear powered warships have been
handled at departmental level.
I am writing to give you early notice of my
Government' s policy that it will not pemiit visits of
nuclear powEtred or nuclear armed vessels to Victorian ports.
~ rhis policy, which was part of the platform on
which my Government was elected, will apply without
quali fication. : 1lo ok forward to your co-operation in assisting
us in the maintenance of compliance w'ith this policy. It
would be ap:? reciated if your Government could advise
relevant foreign Governments, as appropriate, of my
Government's policy in order to avoid misunderstanding. In
each case of a proposed visit to Victoria by a naval vessel
of a country controlling tactical nuclear weapons, it would
also be appreciated if you could obtain from the relevant
foreign gov'arnment an assurance that no nuclear weapons are
carried. Yours " incerelyo
JOH
Premier
The Rt Hion. J. H. Fraser, Ml. P.
Prime MinJ. ster of the Commonwealth
of Australia
CANBEPRRA ACID 2600
3 June 1982
My cdea r Premier,
I refer to your letter of 27 May 1982 abmiL visits to
Victoria by nucicar-powcreci and nuclceir-artned
warshi ps. I feeol that there arc-some aspects~ of
W thi! s matter which the Victorian Governrn~ nt. Fiay Wish
to consider before finally eettling on a policy.
In 1976, after a review of environmental factors,
involving close Consultation with statecs, and
having ): cgard to international experiencc with
nuoiea r-power;, d warShiSps, the Conimonealth Govarnnent
innounced the resumption of vis-its by-niulear-powerecl
warships to Australian ports. Sinice then there have
becii f,.-rty-f& our such1 v~ siLF.-In every insrtanc. e
coitproehen sive radiat ion woitoring was undelrtaken by
the Augtralian Aitomic U-nercqy Comnmission iii conjunntioln
with~ Stinte Authoritieu. Thlere fiave been tio incidw'ntF
causing concern on health or environmontal girounds-
Thiere uits -beeni a continuingj invoi~ lemnt butweell
State and Commonweal tIl officiztls inl thu ecvelo~ pment
and reofinement of arranjericnts to apply to visits of
nuclear-powered warships.
I note that two visits were made to Hoqbart while
Labor w~ as in Government in Tas-mani.-, inarely, ic
liSS LWER-: 1' USE ill late 1976 anid thn USS ' VRUX'j'IiN, zi
111clcarm> powered gUied-missile destroyer, as recently
an 8 to -13 May this year. 0
Nulear-pwe-ed warships will continue to bct an
iniportant component of the capability of the~ Navy of
our major alliance partner, the United States.
Denial of aocess Lo Australian ports by thuse Ve ;-C-As;
ewxopualndd noontl tahcacot, r dl atweirth. the 1ANZUS relationship. I :,) all
-12
9 ' Turniw, now to the ca-ritacjo of. noiclar aiirmaments, 1) y
wzrship-. s, Nitc-lear Weapon Statos have a longl9-stardincj
po3 icy of nlot di! c: 10& int 0o1r: 1~ ut muc: Ie. ar
armatzients are carried in a particulzir warship, whethC:).-
it is nucilear-~ Powercd or covcxonu Syp~ ri
policy wns acceptCo b~ y Mr. whit1lain. lie explainhed tIc~
SistinCtiol) be twean Inucle i:-powec-3 warships ancl
inuclear-armed warships and-the rationale ncrlyinq
Ole poicy of Nuclear Weapun States in regard to thu
latter in the following words:
*. IShould nmakce it P) ZInJI OIZIL t r( is
recjrettab3. y in the 1) ublic mind ai graat de~ al
of conflusion about niuc~ car ; hp. There is
-I di ffereiio betweenl nuclear aIrlre s; li~ ps
and mic. Acar powore8 ships. Nuilear armed
uhips preurniably only miccar a~ rrlecl naal
ships have c: omel t. o Au.-AivwJlia for very
many years. They havo, come frriscveral
powers. SlIiccs:; ive-goverrimenri have
fic:(( i.. ded that niaval Ghips, , Au~ wt daz,-are
cjuitc like3. y to ) E ; tuclear auaied. X t. in;
irflpossile. to r-*\ Pect~ ih11 navjc! S of oUther,
c0cnitries to fipJci fy for3 pII IiC ColI~ mrtIIA. i. olu
' which of their si are jtclemn. arnc-c: andl
which f'cL nlot. fo that ally c01untry which iz;
host to those t -hipn; luty rejitire that ol'.'
those which are ; io; nucloor aottod nccc*
to thu jlmrts if ' k-At Allrfmwi'ion-am)
aU are xj'cdit. ibacomc!, co;
mact ter cof public! knowledge, which of tLho
Spi il any par Iictiti ac iivy itro. nutclear
-rwilld and miaqyih not be
( House of~ fepresviil-atives HinsarJ ' 1 Juneu 19I6
~ Jce3041)
Mr:. Vl'~ iit lamn' arjunents % yore thon and remauin now,
.' minpe ccabc.) 1C IL is :; iIly not ( 3; s. ible to obtaii froP; 411c.
Gove'rviluolt of a Nueccin We'apon SItato i al) Idreth. L i~
nuclc E w-Ic apOIls zlr carried ill at pI) A~ culad r r; hp i~
0Co 4oltcl i donL. fy to I*' ILoaIltial ) VCtI! iws: Ii
which wuarsh~ ipt are nuc] ca i-armcd: ancl which airo not.
" h i onAl hzlkr imnplicati ons not only for thc ; tur. -~ Y
of 01 1 I~ forces-! but Zlics For I'k of Cfcct~. 9ienos fi4
Axistrklia most a rliable~ pwi1; 1Icr to th ic v~
becausc of our AN-: t'S o'Wigift ioiv, ancl to the Ilni lcd1
K~ ingdlom b) c'mist-of. our traditit-mal links. lIn thn.
' ischaECqu of out1: restpflnSibi 1it-Ie!; IlustStAiziin abi tcv
at the very 3e tto prcvidle polrt. Port fci
œ 03. t~ lc rcp~ c: i~; 1iineI.: nd srvici'qof-wisi~ o ltC
an11d o~ the'( r fl-AcrIIflv fidt iomS.
I
~~ 2
f f ii1~ I 1. t. The Hocnourable J. Cain, M. L. A.
Prertidexr of Victoria,
I.~~ LJOiRI* VV Ic. 3000
Iimplementotion of the policy ' set out in your lettcr
% qould have tho affect of ex~ cluding from Victorian
portG all % yarohips of the Navioo of the United
States, the UnItod l incdorn and ) fa. nco. Xn the 1as't
eigjht yeara there have boen ovqo) bO0i vloita to
Australiain poxtq. by i,: arshipa. of our iucar-c,, pabla
friends and allies. W'ou will oeo, from theso
nxxnborai, that prohibition of entry 1by ther; c var-ela
wouold causeGeious damage to our relationohips
% iith thora o Cuftxioiz.
'( he Commonwcatlth haa the ultimntta povwer aAr(
responsibility in x( latloon to the entry of:' warhips
to Amstralian ports. However, I recognise the
importance of co-operation and harmony with the
Stzta Covcrtrment concorned. I therofore skyou to
look a. gain at your policy in the l. ight of the
foregoing. I look fors~; ardl to a rerolution of Policy
mattexa between us.
I understand that you haive xaiu( d no objev'tionl to
tho forthcoming visit of USS ) I1BCTOf, f; C'h0odUld foi'
to 8 June. I ant ploascd tLo hear that, but I Ei
oblige~ l to note that it in-not posoibloh to obtaiiu
nnl auranco fron. the UAS Governmejcnt i: hat thiu vessel
I-S not. carryinci nucoor armwents.
COPY OF HR CAIN'S TELX TO THE
PRIME MINISTER OF 3 JUNE 1982
Dear Mr Fraser,
I have received your letter of 3rd June, 1982 about the policy
of the Victorian Government of not permitting visits to Viotoria
by ships which are nuclear-armed or nuclear-pow. ered.
I note the Commonwealth's policy of not seeking assurance from
the U. S. Government that its naval vessels are not carrying nuclear
arnament s.
In this particular case, I do not intend to raise objections about
the visit of the U. S. S. Hector which from published sources
is manifestly an elderly, non-combatant, auxiliary ship which
would not. carry nuclear weapons. I understand that its armament
is restricted to four machine guns and that its function is to
provide a capability to repair other vessels.
You have raised a number of ) points wghich I have had put to study
in the context of Victoria's declared policy on this subject. I
welcome your desire which I share to resolve the policy matters
between us in a spirit of co-operation and harmony.
Yours sincerely,
John Cailn
Premier
4.
4.
1: ppRiME himinsym~
4 June 1902.
My dear Premier,.
Thank you for your teleprinter message of 3 J3une.
I am writing to ensure that there is -no
between us. There can b~ e no ground!; for assuiny that.
USS. HECTOR is iiot carrying nuclear armaments. Part. of
her role could be the carriage of nuc-lear weapons of
various kinds for resupply to other vessels of the US
Nav" y.
I rote that the rseoond paragraph of your teleprinter
mes~ sage reflects a misunderstanding. It is the policy
of the United StateB Governurtent and Navy to neither
conifirm nor deny that their warship. 9 are carrying
nuclear weapons. The Cowitonwelth Government accepts
that pol-icy as revelation of which warships are, and
which are not, carrying nuclear armaments would
dlisadvantage our P. lly and weaken deterrence.
Yours Sincerely,
( Mal1colm r-raser)
The Hfonourable J. Cain, MT. L. A.,
Premier of Victoria,
MELBOURNE. VIC. -3002