Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Australian Government policy is that uranium is supplied only to countries which are parties to the NPT, have an Additional Protocol with the IAEA and with which Australia has a bilateral nuclear safeguards agreement. The department, including ASNO, in the normal course of its work has considered and prepared advice on the implications of this policy. There is no separate costing.

(2) Government policy excludes the sale of Australian uranium to countries which are not parties to the NPT, including India. Given this actual barrier, the department has seen no reason to identify other potential barriers.

(3) Australian uranium may only be exported for peaceful non-explosive purposes under bilateral safeguards agreements. Australia retains the right to be selective as to the countries with which it is prepared to conclude such agreements. Following any in-principle decision by the Government to sell uranium to another country, the department would initiate negotiation of a bilateral safeguards agreement with that country. The export of uranium could not commence until such an agreement was concluded.