South Australia Premier advocates uranium sale to India

MELBOURNE: The premier of an Australian province has asked the federal government to reconsider its ban on uranium sale to India, saying it was time for a "rethink" on the policy that he himself steadfastly supported earlier.

Advocating a "sensible discussion" on the issue, the long-serving Premier of South Australia, Mike Rann, pointed out that international groups had already ended the nuclear apartheid against India.

"We've seen various groups... recognising India and so I think it's probably time to have a rethink on that in terms of the very strict standards that India is now prepared to sign up to," Rann said, suggesting it was time to consider agreeing to India's desire to import uranium from Australia.

Answering a query on whether Canberra was wrong in banning uranium exports to India, Rann said: "I actually believe it's probably timely for a sensible discussion about that".

Rann's remarks came a week after he signed off on approvals for mining major BHP Billiton's proposal to expand a mine in the state's far north.

"It will be the world's biggest uranium mine," he said referring to the Olympic Dam mine.

Rann was a longstanding opponent of uranium exports to India, and had earlier called potential sales a "grave mistake" and "extremely foolhardy".

While India is Australia's third-biggest export market, the ruling Labor party is opposed to exporting uranium to a nation that has not signed the UN Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.