Senior WA Liberal calls for Australia to become nuclear weapons power

A two-time WA Liberal candidate and party office bearer says Australia should have nuclear weapons.

WA Liberals marketing committee chair and former candidate Jim Seth.Credit: Facebook

Jim Seth made the argument at a Liberal Party state council meeting this month, saying nuclear weapons had made North Korea untouchable and suggested Australia should follow suit.

At the party’s March 2 meeting, details of which were leaked to WAtoday, Seth asked the question-and-answer panel:

“North Korea, a small country, has got nuclear fire, right? Nobody can do a mimicry [sic] on them, no neighbour can touch them, why we as first world country not nuclear react?”

Seth, who was a WA Liberals candidate for Bassendean in 2017 and for Morley in 2021 and is now the marketing committee chair and state executive member, furthered his point in a follow-up question about the Australian Navy’s capabilities to counter drone attacks.

“It was bad look for us in the world when [we] only have eight ships and they cannot counter drone attacks,” he said.

“We talk about safety, when [are] we going to be [a] nuclear power?”

Seth claimed $90 million was being paid every day to Canberra public servants to create federal policies and suggested this money could be better spent on making Australia a nuclear power.

“We could have spent that money into making Australia a nuclear power, so nobody can come and do mimicry [sic] on us,” he said.

In her response to Seth, WA Senator Michaelia Cash segued smoothly to nuclear energy.

“Just on nuclear, isn’t it fascinating where the polling is going on nuclear energy in Australia?” she said.

WAtoday contacted Seth to clarify whether he was talking about nuclear energy or weapons, and he said “as a patriotic Australian” he believed Australia should have nuclear weapons.

He did not respond to follow-up requests for comment.

Australia has since 1970 been a signatory to the United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which binds the country to an agreement not to acquire nuclear weapons.

According to the Department of Foreign Trade and Affairs Australia has been one of the treaty’s strongest supporters and was a key player in ensuring the treaty was extended indefinitely in 1995.

Seth’s comments alarmed Nuclear Free WA co-convener Mia Pepper who said nuclear weapons would make Australia a target, not safer.

“Nuclear weapons have no strategic utility and would not enhance Australia’s defence or security,” she said.

“In a time of growing conflict and uncertainty, Australia should be proliferating peace and diplomacy, not fuelling nuclear tensions and threat.”

A Liberal party spokesman said party members were entitled to ask questions of parliamentarians during State Council meetings and to express their own views on policy matters during meetings.

“The discussion referred to was not part of a formal debate within the Party to determine a policy position,” he said.

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