Antinuclear

Northern Territory’s Environment Centre condemn’s Chief Minister’s support of uranium sales to India

The flip side of labour’s uranium back flip, 5 Dec 11 The decision at the ALP Labour conference to overturn policy to sell uranium to India, a country not signatory to the NPT and a known nuclear weapon state, will cause havoc for years to come.

 While the
The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is imperfect, it is the world’s best
check and balance against the spread of the world’s worst weapons of mass
destruction. Selling uranium to India will weaken the NPT and
weaken Australia’s credibility on non-proliferation and global peace issues.

‘It is very disappointing that our Northern Territory’s Chief Minister Paul Henderson has welcomed this decision and seen it as an opportunity to profit. The reality is even if Australia supplied 20% of India’s current uranium demand, uranium
exports would increase by just 2% above the 2008/09 figure. Very few if any jobs would be created as Indian demand would easily be met
by existing mines.’ said Cat Beaton from the Environment Centre NT.

‘Mr Henderson also seems to forget that the one uranium mine we have is riddled with operational troubles and environmental and social challenges that are not going away’  ‘If the Australian Labour Party was serious about moving forward, they could look at ways to tighten our uranium exports and strengthen conditions around the use of uranium overseas. Instead they pushed forward a decision that will ensure our participation in international political tension and potential nuclear war’ said Cat Beaton from the Environment Centre NT.

December 5, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News, uranium