Uranium mining in Australia and its subsequent export has always generated controversy, raising concerns about environmental damage, or that it might be used by importing countries to develop nuclear weapons. The debate's been strengthened lately by a parliamentary inquiry - which has recommended the government delay ratifying a treaty which would allow Australia to sell uranium to Russia. The question-mark hanging over the treaty comes as Australia reiterates its refusal to sell uranium to India, as it has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Presenter: Michael Cavanagh
Speakers: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; Parliamentary Treaties Committee Chair Kelvin Thompson; Liberal Party senator Simon Birmingham

CAVANAGH: In the seventies and eighties uranium mining in Australia and its subsequent export led to demonstrations near the mines and also in some major cities. For a period the Nuclear Disarmament Party or NDP played a part in Australia's political landscape, managing to have several of its members elected to parliament for a short time. There was also the three mine policy, in which uranium could only be extracted from the existing mines despite major finds elsewhere. Australia has 40 per cent of the world's known deposits.

Recently there has been a push for a change in attitude toward uranium and nuclear power as the issue of climate change and the use of fossil fuels has increased the urgency to look for alternatives. Former Prime Minister John Howard last year during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum signed a treaty with Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in a deal reportedly worth just under one billion US dollars a year.

Now the Parliamentary Treaties Committee which is dominated by the ten month old Labor Government has recommended that the deal be scrapped unless Russia agrees to several conditions including that Russia separate its civil and military facilities. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says things have definitely changed since the Russian agreement.

RUDD: This is, again, I have got to say, a very difficult challenge for the global order. If you look back over the last 20 years or so, what has happened in the last couple of months or so in relation to the West's engagement with the Russian Federation, I fear that we are at one of these turning points. And I think it is very important, very important indeed that all governments are fully seized of where all this goes long term. And that is why this government in Australia, is going to spend a lot of time working our way through the question that you have just put, together with others, on the West's long term engagement with Russia.

CAVANAGH: The government does not have to heed the the Committee's finding. Committee Chair Kelvin Thompson says the Liberal Party which was in power under John Howard are only interested in the economics.

THOMPSON: The Liberal Party is so hungry for the uranium export dollars that they want to believe nothing can go wrong they are prepared to turn a blind eye to what happens after we sell the uranium to Russia.

CAVANAGH: Australia is also refusing to export uranium to India while it refuses to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty a point reinforced during a recent trip to India by Australia's foreign minister Stephen Smith. A move which Liberal Party senator Simon Birmingham told parliament smacks of double standards..

BIRMINGHAM: Now we see in relation to the export of uranium the government ties itself up in knots. China of course is OK -- of course we expect that from the Prime Minister that China would be an Ok destination for uranium, India no no certainly not India, India wouldn't be OK at all and now we discover today with the tabling of this treaty will Russia? We are not sure that's right we are not sure -- China's OK, India's not and Russia well it seems that the government is having a bob each way.

CAVANAGH: While the NDP no longer is part of the Australian political scene the left orientated Greens party has emerged, and Senator Christine Milne told parliament that the Russian deal should not go ahead..

MILNE: That no treaty should proceed on it being conditional on human rights and advancement of democracy that is what the European Union put in their treaties that is what we should put in our treaties if we are serious about being anything other than a greedy country seeking to maximise the income from our resource extraction regardless of human rights and democratic outcomes.

CAVANAGH: The government says it will consider the committee's and will also take into account the events in Georgia before making a decision.