Senator Christine Milne



China uranium sales raise grave proliferation concerns

Senator Milne, 6th December 2006

A parliamentary report into the proposed uranium sales treaties with China vindicates  concerns about the inadequacy of the international safeguards regime, the Australian  Greens said today.

Greens energy spokesperson Senator Christine Milne said that despite identifying  serious shortcomings in safeguards, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties  recommended that the treaties proceed, paving the way for uranium sales to China.

"How could the committee recommend selling uranium to China when it  acknowledged that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is under-funded  and that the inspections regime is deficient?" Senator Milne said.

"The committee confirmed that the IAEA does not have enough funding to do its job  properly and called on the Australian government to provide more funds to the IAEA  to undertake its inspections.

"The committee identified deficiencies in the international inspection regime,  recommending that facilities used to manufacture nuclear fuel be subject to  inspection.

"Australia's chief agency which will oversee the bilateral treaties also needs additional  resources to ensure that safeguards are effective, the committee found, and it  recognised risks associated with lack of transparency of the Chinese government.

"After highlighting all these problems associated with trying to ensure that Australian  uranium will not contribute to nuclear weapons proliferation in China, the Labor and  Liberal committee members made the astonishing recommendation that the bilateral  treaties proceed.

"The committee's evidence vindicates the concerns that the Australian Greens have  expressed about selling Australian uranium to China but their recommendations fly in  the face of good sense.

"For the Howard government to now proceed with these bilateral treaties would be an  act of gross negligence and would increase global and regional insecurity."

Contact: Katrina Willis 02 6277 3063 or 0437 587 562

