Antinuclear

Angry and determined reaction from Labor Left, to decision to sell uranium to India

Domino effect ACF nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney says exporting uranium to a country that is not a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty will undermine Australia’s credibility and reputation on nuclear issues. “It’s only a matter of time before the pressure mounts within the ALP to ‘oh, we export uranium, why don’t we enrich it’,” he said. “And then it’s ‘we export uranium and enrich uranium, why don’t we take back the waste and that will be custodianship and we’ll be a responsible country and a good steward’.

Labor Left vows to fight uranium exports, ABC News,  December 05, 2011 “…….the move was fiercely opposed by several ministers and delegates who believe it is dangerous because India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Labor Senator Doug Cameron says there is no way Australia can get India to agree to proper safeguards. “There is absolutely no way we can get these commitments that the Prime Minister is talking about,” he said. “If Bush couldn’t do it, if the Canadians couldn’t do it, I don’t think we can.”  Labor Senator Cameron says he will not give up the fight.” I think this is one of the worst decisions the Labor party has ever mad. in my time in the Labor Party,” he said.

“I’ll be watching very closely about what we actually do in terms of getting commitments from the Indian Government.”

Speaking before the conference, frontbencher Peter Garrett also said
it is too dangerous to sell to India.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese says it is inappropriate.

“It is the case that nine months after the Fukushima nuclear disaster
is not the time to be expanding our uranium exports,” he said…..

Domino effect

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has also condemned the
decision to sell uranium to India.

ACF nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney says exporting uranium to a
country that is not a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty will
undermine Australia’s credibility and reputation on nuclear issues.

“It’s only a matter of time before the pressure mounts within the ALP
to ‘oh, we export uranium, why don’t we enrich it’,” he said.

“And then it’s ‘we export uranium and enrich uranium, why don’t we
take back the waste and that will be custodianship and we’ll be a
responsible country and a good steward’.

“And then it’ll be ‘we do this, we do that to other countries that use
nuclear power why don’t we use nuclear power’.”…

Howard policies

Meanwhile, Greens leader Bob Brown is predicting a surge in support
for his party as disillusioned ALP supporters turn to the Greens.

Senator Brown says Labor’s national conference has seen a number of
policy changes that have meant the party has never been further to the
conservative right side of politics.

He says the party’s traditional progressive platform is being
undermined by the leadership.

“We’ve got Julia Gillard as Prime Minister endorsing time after time
the policies of John Howard as prime minister,” he said.

“We’re seeing here a historic divide between progressive and
conservative politics and Julia Gillard and senior members of her
leadership have moved to conservative.”

December 5, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics