Labor has cleared the way for Australian uranium to be sold to India. Photo: Glenn Campbell
Federal Labor has cleared the way for Australian uranium to be exported to India after a fiery debate on the floor of the party's 46th national conference.
Despite feisty resistance from opponents, the landmark policy change was carried today by a majority of delegates, paving the way for the first Australian country-to-country agreement to sell yellowcake to a nation outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Contention started early, with anti-uranium protesters drowning out Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese as he spoke against any change to Labor's policy. The protesters were ejected from Sydney's Darling Harbour Convention Centre before the debate went into full swing — leaving the heat and emotion largely to the conference floor.
Mr Albanese told the conference Labor should not be seeking to go deeper into the nuclear industry only months after Japan's profound nuclear crisis at Fukushima.
He said the world had not yet solved proliferation risks, or come up with a solution for treating radioactive waste.
"I say that until we have resolved the issues of nuclear proliferation and we have resolved the issue of nuclear waste we should not change our platform to further expand our commitment to the nuclear fuel cycle," Mr Albanese said.
"I ask you delegates to stick with principle."
He was backed by speakers including Peter Garrett, backbench firebrand Doug Cameron — who declared Prime Minister Julia Gillard "wrong" — and Left factional convener Stephen Jones.
"I don't want Labor's light on the hill to be a green, pulsating nuclear light," Senator Cameron told the conference to enthusiastic applause.
In moving the platform change, Ms Gillard acknowledged the party's internal differences. But she declared uranium sales to India in Australia's national interest.
"We are not a political party that shirks hard decisions," Ms Gillard told conference.
"At this conference we should take a decision in the national interest."
She said as Australians contemplated living in the Asian century, they should consider India's emergence as well as China.
The Prime Minister argued Australia could sell uranium to India without breaching its obligations under the NPT. She said any agreement to sell uranium to India would include strict safeguards to minimise proliferation risks.
The policy change was seconded by South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, and backed by fellow advocates including Martin Ferguson, Stephen Smith, union boss Paul Howes and Warren Mundine.
The only right-winger to speak publicly against change was Stephen Conroy, who was overwhelmed by emotion as he recounted negative family history with the nuclear industry in the UK.
The vote to amend the platform was carried affirmatively 206 to 185.
Former prime minister John Howard had approved uranium sales to India in 2007 but that policy was reversed by the incoming Rudd Government, because it was inconsistent with Labor's longtime ban on selling uranium to countries outside the NPT.
Resources Minister Martin Ferguson, a strong supporter of the uranium industry, has lobbied within the government for Labor to re-instate the Howard policy.
The US supports Australia negotiating a bilateral co-operation agreement with New Delhi. America has already completed such an agreement, which includes a provision that India open some of its nuclear facilities to international inspectors for the first time.
The Indian government has lobbied vociferously for access to Australian uranium for its future nuclear energy needs.
Today's result at the ALP's national conference is consistent with a 20-year trend towards liberalising controls on the uranium industry.
