The Australian Greens are questioning the true stance of the government on the issue of selling uranium to India. The public stance of the government is that the developing nation must sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty before it is allowed to import uranium from Australia.
However recent leaked WikiLeaks cables from Resources Minister Martin Ferguson to US officials sent in 2009 said that a deal to supply nuclear fuel to India could be reached in three to five years. Greens nuclear spokesman Scott Ludlum said that it appears the government is playing a double game.
Now the Greens are demanding that the Australian government clarify its stand in a statement made to parliament in Thursday. While the Labor Senator Doug Cameron said that uranium should not be sold to India till it meets international obligations, the opposition said that it was encouraged by the signs that the government was flexible on the issue of uranium sales to India.
India currently has nuclear technology contracts with the US, Britain and Canada and imports uranium from Russia and Kazakhstan. Considering that India recently overtook Russia as the third largest carbon polluter in the world and it is yet to extend reliable electricity to half of its 1.1 billion population “clean nuclear fuel” is a very viable answer to its problems.
The Australian refusal to let it import uranium has also been a thorn in the side of bilateral relations with India. Should Australia agree to sell India uranium it will be not only benefiting financially but also contributing to a reduced carbon footprint.