Canada Aglow for Dubya’s GNEP

Deeper and deeper we move into the arms of the failing democracy dubbed the U.S.A. Fools and fascists, all those who make these ridiculous deals!

Canada to join controversial nuclear partnership

OTTAWA – The Conservative government announced today that Canada is joining an international nuclear club that’s drawn fierce criticism from environmentalists.

The unexpected public declaration follows months of stone-walling and denials by government ministers and departmental officials, who refused to comment on Canada’s assessment of the U.S.-led Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.

Lots of people who know more than me have expressed grave concerns about this plan.

“Canada is recognized for its commitment to (nuclear) safety and non-proliferation,” Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said in a release.

“By joining this partnership, we are making sure Canada can continue to be an effective advocate for those ideals.”

But we know that nuclear is not safe. Is Bernier unable to read or make sense of this?

The concept would see nuclear energy-using countries and uranium-exporting countries band together to promote and safeguard the industry. But the plan is highly controversial because it proposes re-using nuclear waste, a practice effectively banned in Canada and the United States since the 1970s for security reasons.

So they’re going to break laws or make new ones that contravene the old ones.

As the world’s largest uranium exporter, Canada could be taking on a huge responsibility to deal with nuclear waste from around the world.

“It’s totally undemocratic and unaccountable of this government to take such an enormous decision to re-import nuclear waste into our country without involving Canadians,” said NDP environment critic Nathan Cullen.

An official in Natural Resource Minister Gary Lunn’s office insisted the GNEP model no longer includes repatriating waste.

“There is nothing in the GNEP statement of principles that compels Canada or any other country to take back spent fuel,” Louise Girouard said in an email. “Canada does not import spent fuel and we will not do so.”

And we’re supposed to believe that? You’ve gotta be kidding me!!!

Dave Martin of Greenpeace Canada said that sounds like “GNEP Lite” and called it “definitely without question the worst of both worlds” – nuclear proliferation without control of the fuel cycle.

The issue was central to last week’s Australian election, where long-standing prime minister John Howard was turfed from office after signing on to the GNEP without public debate in September.

The technology issue alone is a major headache for Canada.

Internal government documents obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act suggest AECL’s CANDU technology was shut out of initial GNEP discussions.

Lunn announced Thursday, in concert with the decision to join GNEP, that AECL’s future is up for grabs.

“It is time to consider whether the existing structure of AECL is appropriate to the changing marketplace,” Lunn said in the government release.

He announced a review of the Crown corporation.

There’s been talk of selling AECL since June 2006

The sudden embrace of the GNEP marks a sharp reversal for a government that initially refused in September even to say whether it would send officials to an international planning meeting on the partnership.

If you believed for a moment, that the Old Con Government of Canada would not join GNEP, pray, do tell, on what planet do you live?