[Greens-Media] Greens call on Rudd to block US-India nuke deal

[Bennett, Ebony (Sen B. Brown)]

Friday, 15 August 2008

Greens call on Rudd to block US-India nuke deal

The proposed nuclear deal between the United States and India will undermine the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should block it, Australian Greens nuclear spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

"The United States-India nuclear deal will gut the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Australia should block this dangerous deal at the meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers Group on August 21st," Senator Ludlam said.

"The NSG operates on consensus, so a single vote from Australia could stop this US-India deal from going ahead."

Senator Ludlam said the Greens supported a number of civil society organisations across the world, including environment groups, churches and unions, which have today released a letter calling for the deal to be stopped.

"Australian government policy is not to sell uranium to countries that have not signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. If the Rudd government allows India, a non-signatory to the treaty which developed atomic bombs in secret and conducted a nuclear test in 1974, access to US nuclear fuel and reactor technology, then other non-signatories like Pakistan will want the same exemptions."

"This deal is a recipe for disaster," Senator Ludlam said.

Further information: Felicity Hill on 0417 174 302