Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee for inquiry and report by 3 December 2007: The Australia-Russia Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed on 7 September 2007, with particular reference to:

(a)

the ramifications of the agreement with respect to global and regional security;

(b)

the risk that Australian uranium would be exported from the Russian Federation (Russia) to third states, contrary to agreements;

(c)

the 2005 Russian deal to sell uranium to Iran to fuel the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant, in spite of widespread fears about Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program;

(d)

the implications of the agreement for the sale of nuclear fuel to India;

(e)

the extent to which the supply of Australian uranium would enable Russia to increase its export of nuclear material;

(f)

the weakness of the rule of law, including corporate law, in Russia;

(g)

the ability to verify Russia’s compliance with any agreed safeguards noting, in particular, the European Parliament’s resolution of 10 May 2007 on the European Union-Russia Summit which expressed concern about, inter alia:

(i)

Russia’s lack of respect for human rights, democracy, freedom of expression, and the rights of civil society and individuals to challenge authorities and hold them accountable for their actions,

(ii)

the use of force by Russian authorities against peaceful anti-government demonstration and reports of the use of torture in prisons, and

(iii)

the restriction of democratic freedoms in the run-up to Duma elections in December 2007 and presidential elections in March 2008; and

(h)

any related matters.

This motion relates to the Australia-Russia Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed on 7 September 2007. I am moving this because I am somewhat concerned that last week I moved for this matter to be referred under the JSCOT process—the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Treaties—and the Senate voted it down. I am now moving that it go to the Senate committee because I think that this needs considerable examination and consideration. I would appreciate some explanation from the government because, according to the explanatory notes that are on the government website:

The Agreement will come into force when each country has completed its domestic ratification processes, likely to be in the second half of 2008 at the earliest. In Australia the process involves parliamentary and public scrutiny including consideration of the Agreement by the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT).

I would appreciate some clarification from the government that this particular agreement for the sale of Australian uranium to Russia is going to be assessed under the JSCOT process, as the explanatory notes seem to suggest. I can only assume, if that is the case, that it will be examined under that process and that the reason that the government opposed my reference was that it cited, in particular, a need for consideration to be given in relation not only to the strategic and security issues pertaining to the Australia-Russia uranium agreement but also to human rights; the rule of law; the ability to verify Russia’s compliance; the issue of the retreat from democracy, freedom of expression, the rights of civil society and the rights of individuals to challenge authorities; the use of force by Russian authorities against peaceful anti-government demonstrations; the reports of the use of torture in prisons and, as I indicated, the restriction of democratic freedoms in the run-up to the Duma elections in December 2007 and the presidential elections in March 2008.

This is a particularly significant day to be rising in the Senate to talk about an Australian agreement because I have only just learned that, overnight in Europe, Australia signed on to George Bush’s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. It has received no publicity in Australia and, if it were not for the Times of India, Australians would still be ignorant of the fact that last night Australia did sign to be part of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, which is George Bush’s initiative, and which the Prime Minister has been an enthusiast—