Rudd to examine Maralinga details

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he wants to examine the detail before making an
official comment on a decision allowing soldiers exposed to nuclear radiation in the
1950s to sue the British government.
The British High Court has cleared the way for military veterans from Australia, New
Zealand, Fiji and the UK to sue Britain's Ministry of Defence for exposure to
radiation during the tests.
The decision exposes the UK government to hundreds of millions of dollars in
compensation claims if the 1,000 veterans of tests in the South Pacific and
Australia between 1952 and 1958 prove radiation exposure caused cancer and
chromosome damage.
"I haven't seen the outcome of the decision. I'd like to examine its full
implications first," Mr Rudd said when asked about the matter in Brisbane on
Saturday.
"I've always believed it's important to deliver justice to those affected by atomic
testing in Australia.
"But I'd like to review first the text of the decision."
However, Mr Rudd said it was his general principle to see justice delivered to those
who have been adversely affected by atomic blasts in Australia.
"It's the right thing to do," he said.
Legal decisions need to be examined with a high degree of forensic detail, he said.