protestors as Ziggy spruiks to the suits
by Christina Macpherson Friday May 11, 2007 at 06:27 PM
tamarisk@alphalink.com.au

protestors greeted Ziggy Switkowski and his listeners at the first in his series tour of pro-nuclear promotion. Attendance at $80 a head, and with no publicity, it looks as if Ziggy's pitch to the well-off is to be kept quiet - no details available about the remaining tour venues.

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At 12.30 today, with as little publicity as possible, Ziggy Switkowski began his Australian speaking tour to promote the nuclear industry. The guests, paying $80 a head for lunch, and to hear Ziggy, were mainly members of Rotary. The venue was The Sandown Racecourse annd Entertainment Centre. It was a well-chosen venue, away from inner Melbourne - very difficult to be reached by protestors on a working day.
Ziggy no doubt spoke on his most recent thme, which as that Australia itself probably doesn't need nuclear power plants, but does need to get on with expanding uranium sales. I do not know if Ziggy discussed the ANSTO proposal for LEASING uraium, (with return of nuclear wastes to the Northern Territory and South Australia, via Darwin).

Security men and police were positioned at the locked gates, screening all entrants.
About 30 protesters from the Westernport Action group, and from Nuclear Free Australia greeted Ziggy, (who went past as though they were invisible to him). The protesting against nuclear power, uranium mining, and the leasing of wastes, was similarly ignored by most guests, but surprisingly, a few gave "thumbs up" signals of support.

It is doubtful whether there will be such protests as Ziggy continues his spruiking tour, as the details of times and venues are hard to obtain. It may well be a case of "invited guests only" for Ziggy's future performances.

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