Deputy Leader of the Opposition

STATEMENT BY LIONEL BOWEN M.P.

NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS POLICY ' Â· /  .

THURSDAY 19 JULY 1979

The ForeignÂ· Minister1s statement that the Government  will relinquish control of Australian uranium before safeguards  are applied is negligent. .

The Government has taken two years to deal with,  this obvious hole in its policy and has now moved not to shut  the hole but to widen it.

The mess of government policy does not come from  the Westinghouse case as Mr Peacock claims but because of the  government's abdication of responsibility.

Last month I held discussions with seven governments  and the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European  Commission. On the basis of those discussions it is clear that  in no other country involved in the nuclear fuel cycle has  government abdicated its role as has the Australian Government.

The Foreign Minister should make no further  statements on safeguards as he has no control over nuclear  policy. .  .

The Deputy Prime Minister has handed the uranium  industry over to private and foreign commercial interests. . .   If. the government were concerned about Australian control .   of the nuclear fuel cycle and were concerned about safeguards

the step announced by the Foreign Minister would not have .   been taken.

1 Instead the government should have moved to  acquire uranium and reach more effective multilateral  arrangements to control its upgrading, to enhance non-proliferation and set standards for security, safety and waste disposal. .

.  /

My enquiries overseas have indicated that the  Australian bilateral safeguards agreements are widely regarded  as cumbersome and unworkable.

Parliament House. Canberra, A C T .  2 6 0 0

