Let the politics begin...part twoRudd says uranium policy not hypocritical
30Apr07
LABOR'S plan to expand uranium mining but oppose nuclear power is not hypocritical, Labor leader Kevin Rudd says.
At its national conference on the weekend, Labor announced a plan to drop its long-held ban on new uranium mines and continue to oppose nuclear power.
The government accused Labor of hypocrisy but Mr Rudd said that because Australia, unlike many countries, is abundant in energy resources, like solar, wind, geothermal and coal, there is no need to go nuclear.
"There are a whole bunch of other countries around the world which are not so energy rich, and therefore they do need uranium," said Mr Rudd.
"We have been selling uranium for many, many years and our policy simply recognises that new reality.
"Mr Howard's plan by contrast is to forget coal, forget clean coal, turn your back on the coal industry and instead let's build 25 nuclear reactors in a suburb near you."