Beattie's pro-uranium push welcomed. 23/03/2007. ABC News Online

Another U-turn !?!

Beattie's pro-uranium push welcomed.


The Federal Government says it is about time Queensland Premier Peter Beattie supported uranium mining in his state.
In a major turnaround, Mr Beattie says he will now support the industry after receiving advice that it would not threaten the state's coal exports.
He says he will back a policy change at the ALP's national conference next month.
The Resources Minister, Ian Macfarlane, has given a keynote address to a conference in Adelaide on the uranium industry.
He says Labor needs to adopt a consistent position on uranium mining at a federal and state level.
Mr Macfarlane says states which oppose uranium mining are stopping Australia from making the most of the resource.
"It is about time Peter Beattie put the interests of his state - Queensland - ahead of politics," he said.
"He needs to ensure that the opportunities that are there are already being exploited here in South Australia are available to Queenslanders and Alan Carpenter needs to do the same."
The Queensland Opposition has also welcomed Mr Beattie's support for uranium mining.
Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney says while Labor's position on uranium mining has been confused, his views have been constant.
"We should be looking at uranium mining projects in Queensland to get the economic benefits for the state, and also we should be doing that with the strictest safeguards and ensuring that that uranium ... is used for power generation and not weapons," he said.
But Queensland anti-nuclear campaigner Dr Danielle Viliunas says there will be a fight against the Premier's decision.
"It takes us in the direction that we don't want to go, namely in the direction of increasing and enhancing the nuclear fuel cycle when we do not have either the collective political will, the scientific understanding and knowledge or the technological capacity to manage what we mine," she said.