Gillard's uranium backflip is totally irresponsible

The Socialist Alliance released the statement below on November 16.

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"PM Julia Gillard's policy backflip on the sale of uranium to India, a non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), is yet another sorry betrayal of ALP policy on the mining and export of uranium," said Socialist Alliance national convenor Peter Boyle.

"This will become yet another reactionary bi-partisan policy, in a parliament dominated by two big parties for the corporate rich.

"It also exposes Gillard's talk of supporting reform and democratisation the ALP as a lie.

"If the Labor party leadership had any principles or respect for the will of its members and the general public, it would not be going down this path.

"After Fukushima, it is totally irresponsible for Australia to allow a few giant corporations to profit from the mining and export of uranium. All the operating uranium mines should be closed down, no new mines allowed to start up and all uranium exports should cease.

"There is no future for nuclear energy and the technology already exist for a rapid transition away from fossil-fuel based energy to 100% renewable energy generation. Australia could and should set a lead in such a transition," Boyle added.

"Beyond Zero Emissions has shown that more jobs will be created through a transition to renewable energy generation through solar, solar-thermal and wind power, than can ever be created through uranium mining and export," he said,

From GLW issue 904