Fact or Fission?: The Truth About Australia's Nuclear Ambitions

The dichotomy of Australia's nuclear policies from 1945 through current times is investigated in this analysis, which is based on previously classified files and interviews from former Australian diplomats and politicians. Evidence is presented of the government's apparent bow to commercial pressure, the ensuing compromised safeguards controlling the export of uranium, and the simultaneous development of a strong international reputation for its opposition to the testing and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Offering the view that the government's positions on nonproliferation were implemented to disempower community antinuclear groups, the book cautions that these relaxed standards, the subsequent inevitable spread of nuclear weaponry, and the government's adoption of American nuclear weapons policies threaten Australia's national security.