Greens slam 'misguided' uranium report


Federal Greens Senator Christine Milne says a House of Representatives report on the uranium industry is misguided and a distraction from moves to address global warming.
The report has called for all state and federal governments to review opposition to uranium mining and exploration and to change laws hampering mining and exploration.
The committee also wants a public campaign promoting the benefits of nuclear energy, including a review of information taught in schools.
But Senator Milne says the committee has lost a valuable opportunity to look at alternative energy sources.
"What it provides is a complete distraction from what we should be doing and that is having a serious look at greenhouse and what we can do about it," she said.
Senator Milne says the report is misguided.
"It's a disgrace that Martin Ferguson and his Labor associates are out there in complete contravention of Labor Party policies supporting lifting the bans on uranium mines around the country," she said.
"It's also appalling they are supporting the Government in using the curriculum in schools to run a propaganda line for the uranium industry."
But committee chair Geoff Prosser says nuclear energy is the only alternative to fossil fuels, and it is time to turn around public opinion.
"In the last 30 years this has been driven by fear, not facts," he said.
SA mining
South Australian Premier Mike Rann says the report's advocacy of uranium enrichment has not altered his stance.
Mr Rann says he does not support enrichment.
"We do support uranium mining - we've got the world's biggest mine, one that's going to be even bigger - but we don't believe that there's an economic case in South Australia for either enrichment or for nuclear power," he said.
"I have to say that no-one else that I meet does either."
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