Fri, 1st August 2008   RUDD MUST COMPLETE BACK-DOWN OVER URANIUM FOR INDIA

The Hon Andrew Robb AO MP   Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (to 22 September 2008)

“The decision by the Rudd Government to support the International Atomic Energy  Agency (IAEA)’s approval of the agreement between India and the USA, effectively  condones the sale of uranium to India by other countries around the world.

“As the Coalition has been saying, the Government had no choice but to reverse  their earlier opposition to these sales if they were serious about climate change and  reducing global greenhouse gas emissions,” said Andrew Robb, Shadow Minister for  Foreign Affairs.

“As India grows, it will rank third behind the US and China in terms of global energy  usage and greenhouse gas emissions.

“The removal of the existing restrictions on the import of nuclear technology and  uranium for peaceful power sources could see as much as 35 per cent of India's total  energy needs being met by clean nuclear power plants by 2050.

“This would have a much bigger impact on global greenhouse gas reductions than  any domestic policy Mr Rudd could propose.

“Mr Rudd and his Government now need to go one step further and reverse the  other half of their decision which overturned the Howard government agreement to  supply India with Australian uranium, provided certain conditions were met, and help  India supply greenhouse gas-free electricity to its growing population .

“The Rudd Government's decision to overturn this policy was wrong and deeply  offensive to India.

“It is hypocritical in the extreme for Australia to refuse to sell our uranium to India, yet  plausibly support the rest of the world supplying uranium.

“As well, it makes no sense for Australia to sell uranium to China and Russia, but not  India.

“The US-India nuclear agreement is good for India, good for Australia, good for the  region, good for climate change and good for nuclear non-proliferation.

“To block Australian uranium sales to India while supporting the sale by other  countries makes no sense and is an affront to India.

“It is disastrous politics. It is a position that is unsustainable. It can and must be  reversed.”

