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The Rudd government’s decision to reverse its predecessor’s pledge to sell uranium to India has triggered controversy in Australia. Some applaud the step as a bold initiative, while others dismiss it as dogmatic and shortsighted. It may, however, constitute one of the first manifestations of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s so-called "creative middle power diplomacy," a sharp contrast to his predecessor’s "practical" and "realistic" foreign policy.

Supporters of Rudd’s decision call it fair and bold. Fair, because it comports with traditional nonproliferation rules. Simply, Australia should not sell uranium to India because Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and because it refuses to open all its nuclear sites to international inspections.The decision is bold because it seeks to uphold nonproliferation principles and norms despite the U.S. determination to carve out an exception to nuclear trade laws for India under the "U.S.-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement."