Silly Not to Sell Uranium to India: Robb

The Sydney Morning Herald
Mar 31, 2008

The Rudd government will be forced to reverse its "hypocritical" ban on uranium exports to India, the federal opposition says. It described the ban, implemented shortly after Labor won the November federal election, as "stupidity" because Australia freely sold uranium to states such as China and Russia. Opposition foreign affair spokesman Andrew Robb says it is hypocritical to deny India, which has always abided by the rules of non-proliferation despite not being party to international agreements, the benefits of nuclear technology while China gains full access. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's new government made clear to India soon after taking office that it had no intention of changing its policy of only selling uranium to countries which were party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith passed on this view to Indian special envoy Shyam Saran in January.