



Christine Milne

Australian Senate   Australian Greens Senator for Tasmania



media release

Howard and Downer's nuclear naivete  exposed by global reality

Canberra, Wednesday 17 October 2007  Australian Greens Climate and Energy  Spokesperson, Senator Christine Milne, today called on the Government and Opposition to  rethink their support for uranium exports as nuclear jitters spread across the region and  destabilise international relations.

Last night, Australia's uranium deal with India seemed doomed, as the India-US deal was on  the point of collapse due to domestic tensions over India's continued nuclear weapons  program and seeming subservience to the USA and its interests in Asia.

At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin flew into Tehran supporting Iran's right to  nuclear power and increasing tensions in the United Nations Security Council.

Senator Milne said "Alexander Downer has repeatedly assured Australians that exporting  uranium to countries like India and Russia is perfectly safe and has accused the Greens of  scaremongering. Last night's events prove, if proof was necessary, that nuclear is not only  dangerous but highly destabilising.

"While Labor has been more cautious with the India deal, given India's refusal to sign the  Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, they have been solidly backing the Government on sales to  Russia and generally expanding Australia's uranium exports.



"Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has acknowledged that the US-India nuclear deal  has destabilised his Government to the point of collapse, fuelling anti-US sentiment across  the country and building support for India's nuclear weapons program. Thisolitical reality  exposes Alexander Downer's naivete in believing that any deal we sign with India might

actually restrict their nuclear weapons ambitions. In fact it increases suspicion of the motives  of the USA and Australia.

"President Putin's visit to Tehran reduces its isolation and is a diplomatic victory for Iran. The  discussion between the two countries concerning their nuclear relationship should be taken as  another clear warning that any Australian uranium exported to Russia will increase Russia's  ability to export their own uranium to third countries, some of whom may have nuclear  weapons ambitions.

"The only safe uranium is uranium left in the ground.

"Stoking the nuclear power cycle by injecting huge quantities if uranium into a world which the  Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has said is already at five minutes to midnight is a recipe for  proliferation and global insecurity.

"The Greens are the realists. It's Mr Downer who is naÃÂ¯ve."

Contact: Tim Hollo on 0437 587 562

