Call rule out South Aust. uranium sales to India

Greens call on Labor and Liberals to rule out SA uranium sales to India

The Greens have called on the Rann government and the Liberal opposition to oppose the sale of uranium from South Australia to India.

Visiting Adelaide today to support Greens lead candidate Mark Parnell's bid for the upper house, Greens leader Bob Brown said Prime Minister Howard's visit to India has brought the issue of uranium exports on to the front burner.

"The Greens oppose the export of Australian uranium. In this age of handbag sized nuclear weapons and terrorism the nuclear industry carries unacceptable risks to the global community. Now Prime Minister Howard, visiting India on the coat-tails of President George Bush, has left open the door to future uranium sales, though India refuses to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Senator Brown said.

Greens candidate, Mark Parnell called on the South Australian leaders in the run up to this election to publicly rebuke Mr Howard.

"The silence from Mike Rann and Rob Kerin is deafening. They must make it clear the South Australian uranium should never be fed to nations who snub international safeguards. The voters need to know how strongly they support the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Mr Parnell said.

Senator Brown criticised Kim Beazley's environment statement today.

"Labor's renewable energy target of 5% is way short of the mark and only half of China's goal, for example. It falls way short of the Greens' aim of putting solar panels on every roof," Senator Brown said.

Senator Brown said that the new sliver technology being developed through the Australian National University and Origin Energy in South Australia will revolutionize the potential for renewable energy in a world desperately wanting alternatives.

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