Saturday, 28 April, 2007

ABC News Online

The Australian Labor Party will vote on its uranium policy at the national conference in Sydney today.

The Member for Lingiari in the Northern Territory, Warren Snowdon, will vote against Labor expanding its uranium mining policy.

His decision flies in the face of the NT Chief Minister's decision to support Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's bid to end Labor's 'no new mines' policy.

But Mr Snowdon has told ABC TV's Stateline program the NT Labor branch still has the same concerns over uranium mining as it did decades ago.

"I sought advice and indeed direction if you like from the rank and file of the party and those who attended those meetings were very strong in their view that we shouldn't change the policy," he said.

"So as president of the party I feel it my duty that I represent that view accurately on the floor of conference and I will."

Meanwhile businessman and chair of Australia Nuclear Energy, Hugh Morgan, says South Australia should market itself as the hub of the nuclear industry.

He says the state remains one of the world's best options for the growing nuclear industry.

"There are options, quite clearly options I think, of having an international atomic energy agency engaged with international companies, international governments making Adelaide a centre for nuclear physics study and having a waste repository in South Australia," he said.