Australian government not seriously opposed to nuclear weapons proliferation?

Christina Macpherson 31 Oct 11. These two motions to strengthen Australia’s stand against nuclear weapons proliferation were soundly defeated in the Senate today. It would seem that both Labor and Liberal parties are well in the grip of the nuclear corporate lobby. (However, the Government did reaffirm the current policy of not selling uranium to countries that have not signed the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty)

In the Australian Senate today Senator Scott Ludlam moved:

That the Senate: welcomes efforts taken by the Government to advance nuclear disarmament diplomacy, including the establishment of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and the request for the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties to undertake an inquiry into the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament treaties involving Australia; and

calls on the Government to support the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons.

That the Senate— (a) congratulates the Government for maintaining Australia’s longstanding policy of predicating bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements on the condition of membership to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; and (b) calls on the Government to identify the countries to which it will not permit the sale of uranium.