Australia Has Quietly Signed Onto Nuclear Deal.

CANBERRA—The Australian Greens say the federal government has quietly signed up to US President George W Bush's global nuclear pact without any public announcement of the fact.

Greens senator Christine Milne said the government signed the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) at an International Atomic Energy Agency meeting in Vienna, Austria, on Sunday night.

The US Energy Department stated after the meeting that Energy Secretary Samuel W Bodman and officials from 16 other nations, including Australia, had agreed to increase international nuclear energy cooperation through the GNEP.

Other countries involved include Russia, with which Australia agreed on the sidelines of last week's APEC summit to allow to buy Australian uranium for its expanding atomic energy program.

The GNEP aims to expand the peaceful uses of nuclear energy including enhanced safeguards and advanced technologies.

Senator Milne speculated the development brought Australia closer to allowing an international nuclear waste dump.

"In the dying days of his government, (Prime Minister) John Howard has signed up to George Bush's GNEP ... seemingly without any public statements that he has done so," she said.

"If Mr Howard is so confident that GNEP is a good idea, why has he not publicly announced Australia's official status as a GNEP partner?

"Is it because he is afraid that the Australian community will be horrified that we are now getting deeper and deeper into the global nuclear market?"

Senator Milne called on Mr Howard to specify what he has signed Australia up for.

"The decision to sign onto the GNEP agreement has put nuclear issues fairly and squarely on the election agenda," she said.