Prime Minister Howard leased the Cox Peninsula Transmitter to Christian Voice which beamed Evangelical Christian messages to India. Since Radio Australia had used that transmitter for its international broadcasting it had to lease a transmitter from Taiwan with an increase in cost. Christian Voice is a Moonie organisation. The then head of the Opposition, Kim Beazley, made no protest possibly due to his father's and his early connection to Moral Re-Armament, another Evangelical Christian organisation.

Australia has freedom of religion so the government cannot prevent Christian attempts to evengelise India. However, it think it is no more appreciated there than Hindu attempts to gain converts here are.

It is unconscionable for the Australian government to aid such activities in any way. The Cox Peninsula Transmitter leasing was an unfriendly act on the part of Australia.

The only question I have who wrote this , India's propagangda unit or Neville? Given Nev's new job that maybe the same thing?

Nev just reread what "you" wrote
"especially as India has an impeccable record of abiding by the spirit of the Non-Proliferation Treaty even though its security imperatives prevent it from being a signatory"

For those playing at home that means India stole tech from the west and created nuke's thereby starting an arms race with Pakistan. Other then that they followed that non-proliferaation thingy no worries.

That line say far more about you then I think you would like it to.

Overall a fair summary of bilateral issues and objectives - except that receiving inexpensive uranium from Australia on the same terms as India's competitor China is very important to India.

If Rudd does nothing else bilaterally with India this year removing the uranium export ban would make India very happy.

If Australia's says its OK for other countrries in the Suppliers Group to supply why can't we?

I suspect the potential for a wedge in Labor Party politics on uranium is an ever present concern for Rudd. Supplying to India seems not worth the domestic political risk. Supplying to existing nuclear weapons powers (except Russia) is of course OK or overlooked by Labor utopians. Presumably supplying to Japan, Australia's worst former enemy involves no policy somersaults.

The opportunity for Australia to nurture relationships through uranium supply should not be stymied by outdated nuclear free visions of some in the Labor movement.

Pete
http://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2009/10/india-australia-miltary-contact-but.html

A good article. There is a major disconnect between how Australian's perceive India and how Indians see themselves.

Many Aussies still think that India is living in the sepia 1940s with the Raj in control.

It is a nation of many nations about 3000 years old. It's a mass of contradictions yet in the main, people get on pretty well.

We should give them more credit that we do.