March 18, 2007 12:15am
Sunday Mail
The state Labor Left has softened its 25-year opposition to uranium mining and is poised to support Premier Mike Rann and Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd's national push to overturn the party's "no new mines" policy.
But factional leader Mark Butler said a number of significant concerns would need to be addressed before they considered agreeing to any plan to lift restrictions on mining.
Key members of the faction – but minus ministers Pat Conlon, Gail Gago and Paul Caica – met yesterday to determine its position ahead of the national Labor conference next month.
Mr Butler, who chaired the meeting, said the Left wanted assurances that safeguards would be tightened before it would back further uranium mining.
"We remain deeply concerned about matters relating to uranium mining and nuclear energy," he said.
"We would only consider supporting the (Opposition leader Kevin) Rudd position to change the policy if we could be convinced there would be significant tightening of various safeguards regarding proliferation and environmental standards.
"We'd also look for a strong commitment to an investment in renewable energy"
"We haven't seen those commitments yet and once we do, we'll consider our position finally."
He said until they saw the detail of Mr Rudd's proposal "we can't really say yes or no".
Before the forum at Mile End yesterday it was evident factional members were divided on the issue and Mr Conlon's backflip on the Left's traditional stance.
Mr Conlon revealed in a column for yesterday's The Advertiser he supported the export of uranium to China for nuclear power, arguing it was the only way to curb the country's harmful carbon emissions.
Former minister Steph Key said Mr Conlon had "very strong views that don't accord with the Left".
"My opinion is until we have safeguards for uranium mining and wastage we shouldn't be mining it," she said.
Hindmarsh MP Steve Georganas said the existing policy "serves us well". "Until the concerns about waste and proliferation are tackled, I think we should be very cautious about what we do," he said.
Mr Butler said the Left would seek more discussions with federal Labor before the conference and draw up proposals around safeguards.
He said yesterday's meeting was the first "genuine debate" by the Left in many years.
"There are different views within the Left about this," Mr Butler said.
"People around in those hot and testy years 25 years ago when debate was first heard still feel very strongly about this.
"But I think people recognise there are different dynamics at play now than there were 25 years ago."
The "three mines" or as it's sometimes known, "no new mines", policy introduced in 1985 allowed Roxby Downs and two existing mines to go ahead.
But it also prevented more being developed.
If the policy is abandoned at the conference this year, it will open the door to unlimited uranium mining in Australia.
