Uranium stance criticised

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 8

Uranium stance criticised

NZPA-Reuter Canberra The former research officer to the Ranger uranium environmental inquiry has criticised the Fraser Government over its decision to proceed with the mining and export of uranium. Dr Hugh Saddler, research officer to the inquiry from November, 1975, until May, this year, is the first member of the Government-ap-pointed inquiry to speak out publicly on the Government’s decision since it was announced last Thursday. He said that the Prime Minister (Mr Malcolm Fraser) had tried to present the options open to the Government as either immediate mining or a permanent refusal to supply uranium. "I believe that a third option, a moratorium for several years, which was extensively discussed in the Ranger inquiry reports, would be far more likely to achieve the objective of reducing the risk of nuclearweapons proliferation, without causing any hardship to countries which may wish to buy Australian uranium.” he told a press conference in Canberra. Dr Saddler, who said he was speaking as an individual, admitted that he was a member of the Australian Labour Party — “I wouldn’t call myself an active member” — whose policy is an indefinite moratorium on uranium mining. The executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions will this week consider a ban for an indefinite period on uranium mining and export. The executive will begin ai week-long meeting in Mel-j bourne today. '