Apparently talks are kicking off soon to negotiate Australia's supply of uranium for power in India.

It's my understanding India hasn't signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty... but what the heck... it'll be a nice little earner.

Yeah minor detail if theres loads of money involved

To me, sometimes it just feels like - bit by bit - Australia is being carved up and sold off to the highest bidder... and I am not convinced the consequences for Australia will always be good.

Why the heck should they sign?? There's loads of reasons not to sign it if you were to ever objectively look at it from an Indian perspective. The treaty is clearly discriminatory. Has the five 'powers' ever done anything to give up its monopoly...i think not. Get used to it as its not just about a 'nice little earner'.

How is selling Uranium to India for power (and possibly military) selling off to the highest bidder exactly...its just a scarce commodity.

Do go on... I'm interested to hear your perspective.

http://sandipksingh88.blogspot.com.a...nce-it-is.html

What part of the treaty do you think is 'fair' to india and its self interest??
The hypocrisy of the five powers is mind boggling.

Agree to the DRS first then worry about trifling nuclear matters ...

I appreciate the point that signatories already have nuclear weapons (and that the Indian perspective could find this irksome). However, my interest is that a country (Australia) which previously did not sell uranium to a non signatory may apparently now do so.

Why? My guess is it's for the money. And I think it's sad that Australia's global value could be as a mine.

And if India isn't the highest bidder... people should be asking more questions about why India is to be the new uranium market.

See other thread about Kashmir nuclear war.......

Its a bit like RSA - Responsibly Service of Alcohol.

You should only sell it to countries that behave and look like they aren't about to either build bomb out of it or build a half assed reactor that leaks over half of the world.

Which pretty well rules everyone out.

One possible way around this issue is to process the uranium onshore, before sending it off to India. This has the benefit of adding value to the raw yellow cake, AND developing a strong allied industry and knowledge base here in Australia.

Pre-processed uranium can be treated so that it is virtually impossible (well, incredibly difficult) to refine it further to make it weapons grade.

But sadly Australia is allergic to anything that has the word 'nuclear' in it, and so we will never see it, and just have to take it on good faith that the countries we export uranium to won't start processing it into weapons grade material.


S

Its more than just the $$s. In the end its to service a paradigm shift to Chindia!
We're going back to pre-1850's when half of the worlds growth was confined to that region alone.
Australia can no longer ignore the obvious future or would do so at its own peril....not comfortable reading for many in the west and oz but there you go.

The fact that oz didn't sell it to india previously is simply not important. At that time we just 'sucked' off USA and it would have been their wish that we didnt. Things have changed and the US now see india differently than say 15 years ago. Oz is just moving with the times.

Also isnt there three parts to the treaty including disarmament?? So in effect no one abides by it anyway!