Australian politicians are debating their country’s nuclear energy pact with China. From The Age (Link)
Federal Labor MP Peter Garrett has accused the Howard government of recklessness over its uranium deal with China and is concerned about moves within the ALP to scrap its opposition to new mines.
The former Midnight Oil frontman said Prime Minister John Howard had failed to negotiate adequate safeguards to ensure uranium exported to China would be used only for peaceful purposes.
In his first foray into the topic since calls within Labor ranks to junk the party’s opposition to new uranium mines grew louder this week, Mr Garrett said he would have major reservations about any change in policy. Key ALP figures, including the party’s resources spokesman Martin Ferguson, have called for Labor’s long-standing policy opposing new uranium mines to be overturned.
Mr Garrett, who sought election to parliament with the Nuclear Disarmament Party in 1984, said Mr Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer had been too hasty in negotiating this week’s agreement allowing Australian uranium to be exported to China.
See also “China, Australia sign agreements on cooperation in nuclear energy” from Xinhua.
China nuclear via Google Scholar
