Labour pressure on Rudd to abandon freak uranium policy
Australia's Opposition parties have stepped up pressure on the federal government for reviewing its stand on selling uranium to India. Opposition parties, who termed the current policy ‘hypocritical,’.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: Australia's Opposition parties have stepped up pressure on the federal government for reviewing its stand on selling uranium to India. Opposition parties, who termed the current policy ���hypocritical,��� said it would hurt interests of mining companies.
���Now that the US-India agreement has been made law, the Rudd government is in an untenable position by refusing to allow the sale of Australian uranium to India under the same terms, conditions and International Atomic Energy Agency inspection programme as Australian uranium sales to China,��� reports from Melbourne quoting Opposition resources spokesman Ian Macfarlane said.
���This is the same agreement that Australia approved last month, as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, yet the government persists with its ideological and patronising refusal to allow a similar deal between India and Australia.
This unsustainable position comes at the expense of local jobs in the Australian resources sector, which is being denied access to the substantial market and major investment opportunities,��� Macfarlane was quoted as saying by agencies.
The Australian government led by prime minister Kevin Rudd has insisted that it will not sell uranium to India while the country remains outside the non-proliferation treaty. Mr Macfarlane said India will need extensive reserves of clean energy to meet the needs of its growing population while lowering its greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation.
���With the world���s most extensive reserves of uranium, Australia is well positioned to meet that demand,��� he said. ���But the government���s obstructionist approach and unsustainable double standards are holding us back and standing in the way of jobs growth and new export opportunities for the resources sector,��� he said.
As Australia accounts for 40% of the world���s uranium, India has been eyeing a commercial deal with the country for its civilian reactors. Commentators here have been attacking the ���no uranium to India��� decision of Rudd government.
Brahma Chellaney maintains that the decision ���has made plain his intent to cosy up to the world���s largest autocracy, China, while nullifying an important decision that his predecessor took to help build a closer rapport with the world���s largest democracy.���
���Now that the US-India agreement has been made law, the Rudd government is in an untenable position by refusing to allow the sale of Australian uranium to India under the same terms, conditions and International Atomic Energy Agency inspection programme as Australian uranium sales to China,��� reports from Melbourne quoting Opposition resources spokesman Ian Macfarlane said.
���This is the same agreement that Australia approved last month, as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, yet the government persists with its ideological and patronising refusal to allow a similar deal between India and Australia.
This unsustainable position comes at the expense of local jobs in the Australian resources sector, which is being denied access to the substantial market and major investment opportunities,��� Macfarlane was quoted as saying by agencies.
The Australian government led by prime minister Kevin Rudd has insisted that it will not sell uranium to India while the country remains outside the non-proliferation treaty. Mr Macfarlane said India will need extensive reserves of clean energy to meet the needs of its growing population while lowering its greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation.
ADVERTISEMENT
���With the world���s most extensive reserves of uranium, Australia is well positioned to meet that demand,��� he said. ���But the government���s obstructionist approach and unsustainable double standards are holding us back and standing in the way of jobs growth and new export opportunities for the resources sector,��� he said.
As Australia accounts for 40% of the world���s uranium, India has been eyeing a commercial deal with the country for its civilian reactors. Commentators here have been attacking the ���no uranium to India��� decision of Rudd government.
Brahma Chellaney maintains that the decision ���has made plain his intent to cosy up to the world���s largest autocracy, China, while nullifying an important decision that his predecessor took to help build a closer rapport with the world���s largest democracy.���
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
