Antinuclear

Australian Conservation Foundation calls on Labor to reverse decision to sell uranium to India

And none of this was clear or apparent at the time that 55, only 55 per cent of delegates at the ALP national conference put their hand in the air and said let’s sell uranium to India.

India has given nothing away and in return India has eroded global will, including Australia’s, and has been welcomed into the nuclear fraternity. …

ACF concerned by change in India’s nuclear regulation,   http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2011/s3397198.htm  ABC Radio – The World Today Samantha Donovan reported this story  , December 23, 2011
TANYA NOLAN: Environmentalists are urging the Federal Government to reverse its decision to sell uranium to India after that country announced it will dismantle its independent nuclear watchdog. The Australian Conservation Foundation says it’s to be replaced by a new government-run body.

Samantha Donovan reports. SAMANTHA DONOVAN: The Indian parliament is considering legislation to replace the expert panel that acts as its nuclear watchdog with a body largely made up of government ministers and chaired by the prime
minister.

It’s only a couple of weeks since Labor’s national conference voted to overturn its longstanding ban on selling uranium to the subcontinent and the Australian Conservation Foundation’s national nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney says he’s deeply concerned by India’s plans.

DAVE SWEENEY: It is a troubling development. It is a development that has a material bearing and interest on the decision made by the Australian Labor Party narrowly at the start of December to open the door to uranium sales to India. We have started the month with the Australian Government opening the door to uranium sales; we’ve ended the month with the Indian government closing the door on nuclear
scrutiny.
SAMANTHA DONOVAN: What information have you got though that suggests that the independence of the regulator will be weakened?

DAVE SWEENEY: Well, there is clear comments coming out from India
watchers and from Indian academics and bureaucrats and others
including the Delhi Science Forum, academics at Princeton and the
former chairman of the Indian atomic regulator that the moves by the
Indian government will reduce independence, will reduce rigour and
will reduce the ability to have scrutiny over the full range of the
Indian nuclear industry, military and civil.

And none of this was clear or apparent at the time that 55, only 55
per cent of delegates at the ALP national conference put their hand in
the air and said let’s sell uranium to India.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Is there any chance though that it may actually
improve independence and regulation because India is now dealing with
countries like Australia on this issue?

DAVE SWEENEY: India has made no concessions and given no ground in its
dealing with the world on nuclear issues. It has been welcomed into
the nuclear club even though it refuses to sign the nuclear
non-proliferation treaty, the comprehensive test ban treaty. It
refuses to commit to reducing nuclear weapons or to reducing the
testing and the development of new missile delivery systems.

So India has given nothing away and in return India has eroded global
will, including Australia’s, and has been welcomed into the nuclear
fraternity. …
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2011/s3397198.htm

December 23, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, politics international