Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I would like it noted that this is not my official first speech. My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs and is in a similar vein to the previous question. In the light of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s suppression of human rights and intimidation of political opponents in Russia, does the government consider former Prime Minister Howard’s rush to sign an Australia-Russia uranium deal at the APEC summit last year to be ill considered, irresponsible and against the national interest? On the minister’s comments that the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties is considering this matter, in the light of the facts that there have been no inspections in Russia in at least seven years and that such inspections of Russian facilities will not have been carried out by the time the committee meets, will the government now repudiate this agreement?