Australia’s treaty to sell uranium to India is ‘not fit for ratification’ – pro nuclear experts say
“My conclusion”, Mr Walker said, “is that this proposed treaty is not fit for ratification as it stands. It is bad for our security, bad for our uranium miners, bad for our bilateral relations with third countries and bad for the path we would like to see India take”.
Mr Carlson said there was no justification to require less of India than other Australian partners, such as China, the United States and Japan.
“However, he added, “this proposed agreement falls well short of Australia’s other safeguards agreements
Australia-India nuclear treaty ‘not fit for ratification Financial Review : 19 FEB 2015 BY GEOFFREY BARKER A parliamentary committee is being urged to reject ratification of the proposed nuclear cooperation treaty with India because it is “bad for our security”. Experts say Australia would be seen as having “caved in” over non-proliferation standards if the ratification of the treaty Australia-India nuclear co-operation proceeds.A parliamentary committee is being urged to reject ratification of the proposed nuclear cooperation treaty with India because India may be able to enrich Australian uranium to weapons-grade standards without its consent.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s assertion of India’s “impeccable” non-proliferation record has been challenged in committee hearings, which also heard evidence that a national interest assessment of the treaty tabled by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop contains assertions “which are simply not true”.
The warnings to federal Parliament’s joint standing committee on treaties (JSCOT) come from two of Australia’s most eminent experts on non-proliferation. Ronald Walker is a former Australian diplomat who served as chairman of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Authority, and John Carlson is a former director general of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australian safeguards and proliferation office
Unlike most critics of Australian uranium sales to India, they are pro-nuclear advocates who believe Australia should supply uranium to India.
But Mr Walker told the committee the treaty is “not fit for ratification as it stands”.
“It is bad for our security, bad for our uranium miners, bad for our bilateral relations with third countries, and bad for the path we would like to see India take”.
Mr Walker told the committee “you can’t play fast and loose with nuclear weapons”, and Mr Carlson has said Australia would be seen as having “caved in” over non-proliferation standards if the ratification of the treaty Australia-India nuclear cooperation proceeds.
Mr Abbott sealed a uranium supply agreement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last September. He would be gravely embarrassed if JSCOT rejected or gave only qualified approval to the treaty.
Australia currently bans the sale of uranium to India because it is not a signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
But Mr Abbott, anxious to develop closer trade and strategic relations with India, has pushed hard for a special deal with India, declaring that it has “an absolutely impeccable non-proliferation record” and is “trustworthy”.
Mr Walker and Mr Carlson deny Mr Abbott’s claim that India has an impeccable non-proliferation record and is trustworthy.
Mr Walker told the committee: “India’s non-proliferation record is not a model we want others to follow. It cheated on its agreement with Canada, made nuclear weapons, predictably prompting Pakistan to follow suit.”……..
“The text is open to the interpretation that Australia has given its consent in advance to high-level enrichment, unconditionally”, say Messrs Walker and Carlson…….
Dr Floyd, director-general of DFAT’s safeguards and non-proliferation office, agreed that a “less than treaty level” administrative agreement to implement commitments made in the treaty was still under discussion with India and would not be made public – which was also criticised by Mr Walker and Mr Carlson.
A key question is how the agreement with India, if ratified, would affect Australia’s relations with China and Japan. …….
“My conclusion”, Mr Walker said, “is that this proposed treaty is not fit for ratification as it stands. It is bad for our security, bad for our uranium miners, bad for our bilateral relations with third countries and bad for the path we would like to see India take”.
Mr Carlson said there was no justification to require less of India than other Australian partners, such as China, the United States and Japan.
“However, he added, “this proposed agreement falls well short of Australia’s other safeguards agreements … This agreement is a major departure from the bipartisan approach taken to date.
“If this agreement goes ahead as it is … we will be seen as having caved in, given in, on our nonproliferation standards because India demanded it and we did not insist”, Mr Carlson said……..http://www.afr.com/p/national/politics/australia_india_nuclear_treaty_not_IxvSDR6XGnL1tR8rdhpeZJ
No comments yet.
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 
Leave a comment