Australia's ruling party backs uranium exports to India

Australia’s ruling party voted today to overturn a long-standing ban on exporting uranium to India, despite fierce opposition from critics who argued such sales are unsafe because India has not signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Premier Julia Gillard urged members of her centre-left Labour Party during its annual conference to allow the exports in the interest of the national economy, arguing there are safeguards in place to ensure the uranium would be used for peaceful purposes.