Australia is being drawn into nuclear risk without clear public consent or meaningful national debate, recent defence choices are opening the door to nuclear‑capable forces operating in and around our country.
Expanded access for US military aircraft and submarines—widely understood to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons—signals a dangerous shift. Tied to AUKUS and related security arrangements, these moves entangle Australia more deeply in nuclear deterrence strategies and heighten the risk of escalation. The consequences of such a shift would be borne not only by Australians, but by communities across the Pacific who already live with the legacy of nuclear harm.
This moment demands a clear and principled response. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has issued the No Nuclear Weapons in Australia Declaration, calling on the Australian Government to draw a firm line against nuclear weapons. The Declaration urges Australia to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, aligning our laws and values with a global agreement that outlaws nuclear weapons just as chemical and biological weapons are banned.
Quakers Australia (the Religious Society of Friends) has endorsed the Declaration, continuing a long tradition of speaking out against war, violence, and weapons that threaten life on a mass scale.
Although the Declaration is open to organisations rather than individuals, Friends are encouraged to act: to inform themselves, to amplify the call within their communities, and to urge aligned organisations to add their names. The window to act is short—organisations are asked to sign by 28 February 2026.
This is an opportunity to insist that Australia choose disarmament, transparency, and peace over silence and escalation.