Australia joining the majority of nations and signing the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons would build trust with our Asia-Pacific neighbours and strengthen the country’s credibility as a peacebuilder.

The Uniting Church in Australia, which I serve as president, is a peacemaking church. We encourage governments to resolve tensions through dialogue, not destruction. Our vision is for a world where security no longer depends on weapons, and where nations dismantle their nuclear stockpiles through a legally binding, time-bound plan.

In keeping with the Uniting Church’s long-standing witness for peace and disarmament, I believe Australia must now join the majority of nations and sign the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The Australian Labor Party endorsed this treaty at its national conferences in 2018, 2021 and 2023, recognising the moral and diplomatic leadership it would bring to our region.

The TPNW complements the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, signed by the Gorton Government in 1970 and ratified by the Whitlam Government in 1973. The TPNW commits nations not to use, test, possess or develop nuclear weapons. It also prohibits state parties from investing in companies involved in nuclear weapons production. To date, 95 countries have signed and 74 have ratified. Australia has supported every other global treaty banning inhumane weapons — except this one.

The late Nelson Mandela once asked those who justify “these terrible and terrifying weapons of mass destruction – why do they need them anyway?” His words remain urgent. As Pope Leo XIV recently observed, any sense of security built on nuclear weapons is an illusion.

In July this year, ahead of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Uniting Church wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong urging them to sign and ratify the TPNW. In that letter we said:

Australia now has an historic opportunity to be on the right side of history. The Treaty provides a clear legal and moral framework to advance global nuclear disarmament. Australia has been left behind by more than 90 signatories, including many Pacific neighbours who still endure the toxic legacy of nuclear testing.

In early November this year, still awaiting a reply to our letter, the Uniting Church joined with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Australia and the Public Health Association of Australia for two days of meetings with federal MPs from across the political spectrum. Our shared aim was to inspire action for Australia to sign the treaty and to celebrate the cross-party MPs launching the Parliamentary Friends of the TPNW in the 48th Parliament.

Despite some recent equivocation from Defence Minister Marles, the government says its position has not changed and that it continues to consider the treaty “systematically and methodically”. More than two-thirds of the Labor caucus, all the Australian Greens MPs and most Independent MPs support signing the TPNW. Yet despite this broad support, Australia still hesitates. It is time for moral leadership to match our words.

The global tally of nuclear weapons now has a destructive capacity of more than 145,000 Hiroshima bombs. The risk to humanity and to creation itself is immense. The planet has rarely stood closer to existential catastrophe.

Those who place their faith in the devastating power of nuclear weapons argue that reliance on US extended nuclear deterrence is essential for national defence. Yet, as the World Council of Churches reminds us, “nuclear faith is a faith that secures death. We want to pursue a faith that leads to life".

Letting go of the illusion of nuclear faith and signing the TPNW would build trust with our Asia-Pacific neighbours and strengthen Australia’s credibility as a peacebuilder. It would show that real security lies not in threats of annihilation, but in relationships of justice and cooperation.

Disentangling ourselves from nuclear weapons will open further leadership opportunities for Australia. We can increase investment in peacebuilding: in aid, diplomacy, trade, sport and intercultural exchange. These are the true instruments of security and hope.

Signing the TPNW would also be a concrete sign of respect and a step towards healing for the many thousands of people killed or terribly harmed through the (ongoing) effects of nuclear weapons tests conducted historically in Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Despite the challenges, there are encouraging signs that the Albanese Government is moving closer to signing – closer to being Labor at its best. Taking that next step will require love to triumph over fear – what some might call political courage.

The Gospel of Christ calls us to be peacemakers and reconcilers in a world where violence and enmity threaten life itself. It is in this spirit that the Uniting Church continues to pray and advocate for Australia to stand on the side of peace.

Matthew 19:26 reminds us, “with God all things are possible". Through prayer, co-operation and courage, it is possible to dismantle every nuclear weapon held by the nine nuclear-armed states.

For the sake of our children and grandchildren, and for all of creation, it is time for nuclear-armed nations to admit their errors, awaken to their humanity, and negotiate a pathway to a world without nuclear weapons.

Love is more powerful than fear.

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.