Australian gov't ends ban on uranium exports to India

The Australian Labor government on Sunday voted to overturn ban on uranium sales to India at the Labor's national conference. Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Sunday moved a motion to change the party's policy platform on the issue and allow sales to India. The result saw 206 delegates voting in favor to end the ban and 185 opposing it. The motion was supported by federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, Defence Minister Stephen Smith and South Australian State Premier Jay Weatherill. "We are at the right time in the history of the world to seize a new era of opportunity in this, the Asian century," Gillard told the Labor Party national conference. "We need to make sure that across our regions we have the strongest possible relationships we can, including with the world' s largest democracy, India," she said."That's why we should determine today to change our platform and enable us, under safeguards, to sell uranium to India." However, the ban has aroused controversies. Labor Senator Doug Cameron said India had "waged wars" and was developing rockets to "send nuclear weapons to its neighbors," and that he did not want Labor's "light on the hill" to become "a green pulsating nuclear light." "Prime Minister, you are wrong; ministers, you are wrong," he said. "Forget all the arguments about jobs, it's a sideshow." Also opposing Gillard's view was Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, who said the fact that India had not signed the NPT and that nuclear waste was difficult to deal with were "two unresolved issues." A group of about 10 anti-uranium protesters had been rallying outside the Labor national conference on Sunday.

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