Aussie oppn asks govt to review nuke relations with India

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Oct 3 (PTI) Australia's opposition parties have mounted pressure on the Federal Government to review its "blind ideological objection" for Uranium sale to India, after the U.S. Congress approved a landmark bilateral nuclear deal.

"Labour's blind ideological objection to Australia in
concluding a similar arrangement with India is a missed
opportunity to generate jobs and build the economy," Coalition
foreign affairs spokeswoman Helen Coonan said.

The Government lead by Preime Minister Kevin Rudd has
insisted that it will not sell uranium to India while the
country remains outside nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
(N.P.T.).

Senator Coonan said the Coalition continued to support
the previous Howard government's commitment to sell uranium to
India, subject to safeguards being put in place.

"We have supported this based on recognition of India
as an emerging global power, and the fact that by assisting
India to get to 35 percent of domestic power being provided
by greenhouse-gas-free nuclear power we can achieve
environmental objectives," she said.

Meanwhile, Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett
was quoted as saying by 'The Age' today that he will allow
mining of his state's uranium deposits.

Meanwhile, Neville Roach, Australia-India Business
Council chairman, who has asked Australia to help India in
reducing emissions by changing its policy on uranium sale,
said "Having the world's largest carbon footprint, Australia
has a moral obligation to make it easier, rather than more
difficult, for India to generate energy in the least polluting
way."

India needs secure access to the latest technology as
well as uranium ore to expand its nuclear power production
substantially.

"As the suppliers group decision does not require
India to sign the N.P.T., Australian government will need to
review its longstanding policy to export uranium only to
N.P.T. signatories. This will have profound implications on
the country's relations with India and the world's response to
climate change," Roach further commented.

The suppliers group decision does not preclude
individual suppliers setting their own conditions for nuclear
trade with India, he said adding Australia, too, like the U.S.
and France, can and should negotiate its own conditions to
deal with its legitimate concerns.

India's strong commitment and outstanding record in
relation to non-proliferation should encourage the Rudd
Government to find a win-win solution, Roach asserted. PTI NC