Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Resources and Energy regarding his recent meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Krishna. Did the minister reaffirm the government’s ban on sales of Australian uranium to India while India remains outside the nuclear non-proliferation treaty? Has the minister, in discussions with foreign governments, canvassed the possibility of a nuclear deal with India outside the treaty within the next few years?

Martin Ferguson (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Resources and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can confirm that when I met the Indian foreign minister in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago I reaffirmed that the position of the Australian government is that we are not in a position to sell uranium to India as they do not meet the Australian government requirement with respect to ratification of the United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and in terms of entering into a bilateral agreement with Australia, on the basis of which we sell uranium to countries.

I have said previously that I am very supportive of the actions of the United States and their engagement with the international community with respect to the additional accountability of India in terms of their civil nuclear facilities and the willingness of a variety of countries, through the Nuclear Suppliers Group, to actually supply uranium to India. That is not new. It has been acknowledged by me and by other ministers that, in terms of the actions of countries beyond Australia who are capable of selling uranium to India, the leadership of the United States, in association with other countries, is to be commended.