Saturday, 6 January, 2007

ABC News Online

The Greens say Prime Minister John Howard has ignored concerns about the potential dangers of selling uranium to China.

They say an agreement ratified between Australia and China does not have adequate safeguards to ensure uranium sold to China is not misused.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle says Australia should instead sell renewable energy technology to China because it is safer and cleaner than uranium.

"We simply don't think that exporting uranium to China is the right path to be taking at all because the consequences are potentially so serious," she said.

"If John Howard decides to take this path, then he will be responsible for any catastrophic consequences that come from this decision."

Australia and China have ratified an agreement to permit the sale of uranium from as early as this year.

Senator Nettle says the agreement lacks adequate safeguards to prevent uranium being used for weapons or terrorism.

"We would love to see Australia exporting renewable energy technology to China rather than uranium, which will end up in the dangerous and destructive nuclear industry," she said.

"Now, we also don't believe that there are adequate safeguards in place to ensure that Australian uranium does not make it into weapons or into the hands of terrorists."

The Greens are also calling on Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to rule out selling uranium to India, which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.