THE HON. ROBERT HILL
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Senator Hill, thanks for your time.

Very good to be here.

You must be pleased.

Yes, indeed.

To have Kakadu listed as a uranium mine.

It’s a great result. We’re very proud.

Good for Australia.

Australia didn’t do it. We did it.

I mean it’s good for Australia that it happened.

You’ve lost me.

Is it tough to get a site listed as a uranium mine?

Yes, it’s quite a detailed process.

How do you do it?

First of all you’ve got to get elected.

How do you do that?

You adopt a lot of policies you think people will like.

Like what?

Like envirotuninal policies.

Environmental policies?

That’s them.

You’re the Minister for the Environment.

Of course I am. I just turned part of it into a uranium mine.

So you get into power with your environmental policies. And then what do you do?

You do what you like once you’re in.

This is why we’re increasing greenhouse gases?

Yes.

And turning a national park into a uranium mine?

Not the whole park.

A park with a uranium mine in it?

Yes. Nice big park. Few trees. Shrubs. Herbaceous borders.

And a uranium mine.

Australian industry at work.

You won’t be able to drink the water.

Why not?

It’ll be poisoned. That’s what happens with a uranium mine.

The miners will take the water with them.

Is it a beautiful place?

Not really. It’s a big hole in the ground full of trucks and bulldozers.

I mean Kakadu.

Kakadu? It is now, yes.

You don’t think it always will be?

We’ve given an international undertaking to turn it into a uranium mine.

You’ve promised?

Solemnly.

Mr Hill, thanks for your time.

This is a Howard Government promise.