Harper unilaterally decides

[jdobbin]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/071130/...nal/cda_nuclear

The Conservative government was pilloried Friday for committing Canada to a new international nuclear club without any public or political debate.

Opposition MPs demanded that Canada's participation in the U.S.-led Global Nuclear Energy Partnership be debated and voted upon in the Commons after learning by press release that Canada was joining the group.

The surprise announcement came late Thursday after months of government stone-walling and denials.

"It is great news for Canada to be part of this partnership," Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn told the Commons on Friday.

But Lunn then refused to meet with reporters to discuss the matter, staying in a private Commons lobby for more than an hour while media waited outside.

Eventually, his spokeswoman emerged to say the minister had answered all relevant questions during the daily question period and had nothing more to add.

The minister's behaviour played perfectly to the opposition critics.

"Why have Canadians been kept completely in the dark?" NDP Leader Jack Layton asked outside the House.

This is great. Make this announcement late on Friday and then hide in a room and not answer questions about it.

On the same day, the government hinted that AECL's future is up in the air.

I guess this constitutes a crappy Conservative policy and one they think they have answered all questions on now.

Edited November 30, 2007 by jdobbin

[sharkman]

Good news, as Canada builds one of the best nuclear energy plants in the world, being part of this group will help exports.

BTW, Jack Layton would probably want a referendum on every single issue the government faces, but just as he didn't get his way when the Liberals were in power and making unilateral decisions, so now with the Tories.

[Guest coot]

I guess this constitutes a crappy Conservative policy and one they think they have answered all questions on now.

This is exactly what they mean by *scary* *scary* *scary*. Now that Dion is down, this is what a majority looks like.

[raz395]

This is exactly what they mean by *scary* *scary* *scary*. Now that Dion is down, this is what a majority looks like.

It is disgusting that Harper thinks he can get away with doing this all by himself.

[jdobbin]

Good news, as Canada builds one of the best nuclear energy plants in the world, being part of this group will help exports.

BTW, Jack Layton would probably want a referendum on every single issue the government faces, but just as he didn't get his way when the Liberals were in power and making unilateral decisions, so now with the Tories.

And brings in nuclear waste as being part of the group including any and all uranium we export.

[sharkman]

It's quite simple. Those things that a minority government must get a majority vote for, they take to a vote. Those things that a minority government doesn't need a commons vote for, they don't. To those in Canada who may be uninformed, nuclear energy has become much safer and gentler on the environment, and its making a big comeback. Might as well face it, as China is building these and coal fired plants by the dozen. If we can sell a safer product than, say, Korea, why not do it since they will buy them somewhere.

[jdobbin]

It's quite simple. Those things that a minority government must get a majority vote for, they take to a vote. Those things that a minority government doesn't need a commons vote for, they don't. To those in Canada who may be uninformed, nuclear energy has become much safer and gentler on the environment, and its making a big comeback. Might as well face it, as China is building these and coal fired plants by the dozen. If we can sell a safer product than, say, Korea, why not do it since they will buy them somewhere.

And we can store all their waste as part of the deal. That's great. We don't need to debate that.

[bush_cheney2004]

And we can store all their waste as part of the deal. That's great. We don't need to debate that.

What's to debate? Canada has been selling all things nuclear from the 'git go! Still does.

[trex]

And we can store all their waste as part of the deal. That's great. We don't need to debate that.

They don't need to store the nucular waste, they've found a convenient way to get rid if it in places like Iraq and Afghanistan

[margrace]

They don't need to store the nucular waste, they've found a convenient way to get rid if it in places like Iraq and Afghanistan

Yes drop it on the children and give them Leukemia, what you all need aye and don't yell at me, I have already lost 5 to leukemia. Strange that it started with the generation of the 2nd world war

Edited December 1, 2007 by margrace

[Keepitsimple]

And brings in nuclear waste as being part of the group including any and all uranium we export.

I don't see how Canada's position could be any clearer. From the article:

"We have absolutely, explicitly stated that under no uncertain circumstances will Canada ever be taking back spent nuclear fuel at any time from any country," Lunn told the Commons in response to a friendly question from a Conservative backbencher.

Had Lunn taken the time, he might also have explained that the lease-and-return fuel cycle is being pitched for countries that enrich uranium - something Canada currently does not do.

Canada is following the lead of Australia, which also joined the partnership while stating it would have no part in repatriating nuclear waste.

[jdobbin]

I don't see how Canada's position could be any clearer. From the article:

The premise behind this nuclear club is that countries that supply uranium take back the waste.

[Topaz]

I don't see how Canada's position could be any clearer. From the article:

Wait a minute... the partnership says the the spent uranium will go back to the country of origin. CANADA is the TOP world's leader exporter!! So every single uranium we exported HAS to come back to Canada., so we'll have to get nuclear waste back and were will Harper going to store it???

[Canuck E Stan]

And we can store all their waste as part of the deal. That's great. We don't need to debate that.

So you prefer to debate with terrorists making "dirty bombs"?

Maybe bringing it here where WE have control of it isn't such a bad idea.

[jdobbin]

So you prefer to debate with terrorists making "dirty bombs"?

Maybe bringing it here where WE have control of it isn't such a bad idea.

If the Tories think the nuclear club is a good idea, they should debate it. Instead they make an announcement on Friday just before the day end and then hide in a room to avoid questions. When those pesky reporters continue to ask questions when you leave, you say that everything that needed to be said was said in Parliament.

So I take it is your opinion that Canada should take back waste produced using Canadian uranium even when it is processed in other countries. And where will it be stored? How will it be stored? No debate there? Or are we to see another unilateral decision where it is buried in the Canadian Shield between Kenora and Thunder Bay?

[Fortunata]

So you prefer to debate with terrorists making "dirty bombs"?

Maybe bringing it here where WE have control of it isn't such a bad idea.

Ooohhh, now that's the scary, scary, scary tactics we all know and love from the right wing throughout North America. Anything is justified these days because of the "terrorist" factor.

[Michael Bluth]

Hmmm, what is the debate here?

The GNEP is a technically complex, hugely expensive initiative to foster a new breed of nuclear reactors that would reuse nuclear waste within a closed fuel cycle to prevent the spread of nuclear bomb-making materials

The new nuclear reactors are going to reuse nuclear waste and there will be no further spread of nuclear bomb-making materials.

Why is this a bad thing?

[Fortunata]

Hmmm, what is the debate here?

The new nuclear reactors are going to reuse nuclear waste and there will be no further spread of nuclear bomb-making materials.

Why is this a bad thing?

If this is true and there will be no waste to return then there is no debate. And, again, if it's true I guess Lunn didn't have to make like the tough guy against repatriation of waste then right? A little misleading wouldn't you say?

[jdobbin]

If this is true and there will be no waste to return then there is no debate. And, again, if it's true I guess Lunn didn't have to make like the tough guy against repatriation of waste then right? A little misleading wouldn't you say?

One of the major criticism of the GNEP is that it involves dangerous proliferation-prone reprocessing technology that exist for the commercial market. It doesn't make the world any safer and it avoids the debate needed on nuclear waste storage.

[Michael Bluth]

If this is true and there will be no waste to return then there is no debate. And, again, if it's true I guess Lunn didn't have to make like the tough guy against repatriation of waste then right? A little misleading wouldn't you say?

Misleading by those trying to attack the Government on the matter?

Absolutely. Glad to see you can admit the truth when it is this painfully obvious.

[M.Dancer]

I fail to see what the issue is?

We don't want to be part of multinational nuclear associations?

[ScottSA]

I fail to see what the issue is?

We don't want to be part of multinational nuclear associations?

Dobbin is trying to scare up an anti-Harper issue here, of course. First, the "nuclear club" is widely understood to mean those countries with weaponized nuclear energy, so he gets in that little kick right at the neginning with his misleading title. Next, he fabricates a non-issue with waste storage, when there is an explicit statement that waste won't be coming here...oddly enough, one of the anti-Harper cadre then jumps in and tries to suggest that a statement claiming no waste will come here is proof that waste will come here...just wierd. Then Dobbin tries to claim that Canadian nuclear technology, which has been one of canada's major exports for decades, is somehow going to lead immediately to proliferation of weapons.

Dobbin, I have often laughed at people who accuse others of being paid acolytes of a party...or "paid bashers" as they are known in the daytrading community...but really...if anyone fits the bill of a paid liberal agitator, you do. The only thing you ever post is anti-Harper agitprop, and your attempts to round up issues where none exist is so transparent that it's laughable. Perhaps Harper plans to send uranium tainted Christmas greetings to the folks on his nefarious secret lists, eh?

[Canuck E Stan]

Dobbin, I have often laughed at people who accuse others of being paid acolytes of a party...or "paid bashers" as they are known in the daytrading community...but really...if anyone fits the bill of a paid liberal agitator, you do.

Dobbin is a paid liberal agitator? Say it isn't so.

But then again he does say he gets paid for what he writes....and he does do a lot of writing here. I wonder.....

[Topaz]

Dobbin is trying to scare up an anti-Harper issue here, of course. First, the "nuclear club" is widely understood to mean those countries with weaponized nuclear energy, so he gets in that little kick right at the neginning with his misleading title. Next, he fabricates a non-issue with waste storage, when there is an explicit statement that waste won't be coming here...oddly enough, one of the anti-Harper cadre then jumps in and tries to suggest that a statement claiming no waste will come here is proof that waste will come here...just wierd. Then Dobbin tries to claim that Canadian nuclear technology, which has been one of canada's major exports for decades, is somehow going to lead immediately to proliferation of weapons.

Dobbin, I have often laughed at people who accuse others of being paid acolytes of a party...or "paid bashers" as they are known in the daytrading community...but really...if anyone fits the bill of a paid liberal agitator, you do. The only thing you ever post is anti-Harper agitprop, and your attempts to round up issues where none exist is so transparent that it's laughable. Perhaps Harper plans to send uranium tainted Christmas greetings to the folks on his nefarious secret lists, eh?

THE problem is that THIS government is a MINORITY and until he get a MAJORITY, Harper can't do whatever he wants!

[jdobbin]

I fail to see what the issue is?

We don't want to be part of multinational nuclear associations?

We don't want nuclear waste from other countries to be "repatriated" to Canada as is the intent with this particular nuclear association.