Howard invites Indonesia to become nuclear power - Greens
The Prime Minister's advocacy of an expanded nuclear industry in
Australia sends a message of approval for Indonesia to become a nuclear power too, Greens leader Bob Brown said today.
"Australia and our region are essentially nuclear-free. Mr Howard is abandoning that security to grab uranium profits
and facilitate an
Australian role in nuclear enrichment," Senator Brown said.
"This robs Australia of its moral strength to argue against Indonesia resurrecting the Soeharto plan for 12 nuclear
reactors and to advance its interest in Russian-built floating nuclear power stations."
"This will make our region much less secure for the next generation of Australians," Senator Brown said.
"John Howard has talked up regional terrorism. Now he is promoting nuclear power proliferation in our neighbourhood. At
best his logic is faulty, at worst he is taking Australia into a future unnecessarily menaced by the nuclear threat,"
Senator Brown said.