Uranium sales to India a disaster in the making

Australian Greens spokesperson for nuclear policy Senator for Western Australia Scott Ludlam. 21 January 2013.

The Federal Government’s decision to pursue uranium sales to India is a disaster in the making, the Australian Greens said today.  Greens spokesperson for nuclear policy Senator Scott Ludlam said the Labor Party has proven it cannot be trusted on the environment.

“We will be working with the anti-nuclear movement in India – which has faced brutal repression in recent times – to ensure this does not go ahead.

“Minister Bob Carr is Australia’s Foreign Minister, not a publicly-funded delegate for the uranium mining industry. This decision is bad for Australia and India.

“In September 2012 a report from India’s Comptroller and Auditor General on the country’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and nuclear safety regulation highlighted a series of dire flaws, and raised grave concerns about the lack of independence of the Board.

“India refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  Earlier last year India ranked 28th out of 32 countries in terms of the security of their nuclear stockpiles, and in 2011 one of India’s pioneer nuclear scientists  – Dr MP Parameswaran – said India should suspend its entire nuclear program because of safety risks and the unresolved problem of nuclear waste.

“Pushing uranium onto India’s market temporarily benefits the uranium mining kingpins at the expense of the Indian people who deserve energy that is clean, safe, and affordable.  Nuclear is none of those things.  The Greens are the only party that stands strongly for the end of the nuclear industry and nuclear proliferation.  Australia should be working to boost India’s renewable energy sector – and leaving uranium in the ground where it belongs.”

01/22/2013 – 00:17