Sunday, 5 November, 2006

by Katharine Murphy
The Age

AUSTRALIA could sell uranium to India without increasing the risks of weapons proliferation, according to an investigation of the nuclear industry tabled in the Federal Parliament.

The report, from a bipart- isan committee, finds "sound reasons to allow an exception to Australia's exports policy in order to permit uranium sales to India".

It says it is "conceivable" that Australian uranium sales would "not undermine the non-proliferation regime".

But the report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry and Resources stops short of recommending a change to Australia's current policy, which prevents uranium sales to countries outside the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Prime Minister John Howard has flagged that the policy may be changed in the future — particularly in the wake of a recent nuclear co-operation agreement between the US and India.

The report also calls for an expansion of uranium mining, the possible development of enrichment and conversion facilities, and the removal of bans on nuclear power plants.

It urges the industry to better educate the public about the sector — including allowing schoolchildren to visit uranium mines.

The proposal has outraged the Australian Greens. "It seems that school students are to become the new battleground in the Government's nuclear offensive," Greens energy spokeswoman Christine Milne said.

In a highly unusual move, three Labor committee members, Michael Hatton, Martin Ferguson and Dick Adams, issued "supplementary remarks" indicating they did not support Australia enriching uranium, building nuclear power plants or importing radioactive waste.

Committee chairman, Liberal MHR Geoff Prosser, had praised the ALP committee members for their "enthusiasm and spirit of bipartisanship for this important and historic inquiry".

Despite the "supplementary remarks", the report has reignited Labor's internal tensions over uranium by the three MPs' call for existing state bans on new mines to be scrapped.

The national secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, Doug Cameron, said Australia's focus should be on manufacturing.

"We should not be concentrating on niche industries that employ less than 1.4 per cent of the workforce," he said.

Labor's national conference next year is scheduled to debate a controversial motion calling for the party's current uranium mining policy to be scrapped.

New Labor leader Kevin Rudd has indicated he will support a change to the current policy.

A spokesman for Premier Steve Bracks said Victoria would not be bullied into changing its policy on uranium mining.

"Steve Bracks made it clear in the election campaign that Victoria will not be part of John Howard's nuclear plan and will retain existing laws that prevent uranium mining," the spokesman said.

"Victoria will continue to be nuclear free under a Bracks Labor Government."