Senator MILNE (4:22 PM) —by leave—I move the motion as amended:

That the following matter be referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties for inquiry and report by 3 December 2007:

The Australia-Russia Nuclear Cooperation Agreement signed on 7 September 2007, with particular reference to:

(a)   the ramifications of the agreement with respect to global and regional security;

(b)   the risk that Australian uranium would be exported from the Russian Federation (Russia) to third states, contrary to agreements;

(c)   the 2005 Russian deal to sell uranium to Iran to fuel the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear plant, in spite of widespread fears about Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program;

(d)   the implications of the agreement for sale of nuclear fuel to India;

(e)   the extent to which the supply of Australian uranium would enable Russia to increase its export of nuclear material;

(f)   the weakness of the rule of law, including corporate law, in Russia;

(g)   the ability to verify Russia’s compliance with any agreed safeguards noting, in particular, the European Parliament’s resolution of 10 May 2007 on the European Union-Russia Summit which expressed concern about, inter alia:

(i)   Russia’s lack of respect for human rights, democracy, freedom of expression, and the rights of civil society and individuals to challenge the authorities and hold them accountable for their actions,

(ii)   the use of force by Russian authorities against peaceful anti-government demonstration and reports of the use of torture in prisons, and

(iii)   the restriction of democratic freedoms in the run-up to the Duma elections in December 2007 and the presidential elections in March 2008; and

(h)   any related matters.

Question put.