ReWind.It, over at Bread’n’Roses, POGGE and the good Dr. Dawg have pretty much covered the new piece in the ongoing saga of the AECL’s Chalk River nuclear reactor. And, though I congratulate Ms Keen on her willingness to Stand Up for Canada and speak out regarding unfair treatment from Minister Lunn in her role as President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, I cannot let it go unnoticed that Canada’s nuclear regulator has lacked perfection in its role of protecting the safety of Canadians from the nuclear fuel cycle.
I cannot help but wonder if, as with every single thing the Harper regime has done, that this is also a calculated response to their bungling of the Chalk River fiasco. What makes me think this is this statement by Keen:
I would therefore ask you to carefully consider the significant chilling effect your recent actions could have on the practices and decisions of other tribunals who are responsible for important work on behalf of Canadians.
It sends a definite message. And, you can call me paranoid, if you like, but I don’t trust our Steve, the wannabe dictator, one bit.
ETA: Impolitical’s contribution. And to fix the link to POGGE.
Politics'n'Poetry 
I was watching the proceedings on the AECL issue on CPAC on TV and I am compelled to record my appreciation of Linda’s courage, diplomacy, professionalism,and patience as a responsible public servant. I am sorry you are forced to perform in an era when politicians who are entrusted with the citizens’ safety are ignorant even on the basic principles of setting up a regulatory body such as the NSC. All success with your efforts to educate the ignorants.
AECL lacks marketing expertise.Proof?
When questioned about plants making isotopes elsewhere in the world, it was the health minister who had to answer on AECL representatives behalf. This lack of marketing expertise amongst the technical personnel explains manner in which AECL operated and closed their plant.
Secret behind the survival of AECL as a supplier of isotopes?
The demand for these isotopes are far from being fully satisfied.
This fiasco is key in understanding how the Harper Conservatives view ordinary Canadians, and the law of the land.
If it ain’t for ’em, it’s agin ’em.
Nukes. In the hands of kindergarteners.
Lunn, that little plick, should step down in the face of his flagrant disregard of the security measures Canada takes regardless of which idiot is actually supposedly running the country.
Whooee! Good boogin’, as usual, Berlynner. You are the absolute best Canadian blogger on this issue. Hands down.
I keep wondering when the MSM and the duped oppo MP’s are going to wake up to the realization that this was a completely manufactured crisis. As long as Van Loan and the Con’s can keep up with the lie that tens of thousands of lives were put at risk by Keen’s intransigence, they keep a certain amount of credibility. When it becomes known that alternative isotope suppliers were ready and willing to fill MDS’s needs without restarting Chalk River, any support for Lunn/AECL/MDS/Clement will evaporate.
Lives were put at risk. Not by CNSC, though.
When AECL and MDS failed to follow their own 1994 plan for an unexpected shutdown, they created the crisis and they put lives at risk. Lunn and Harper were complicit in the manufacture of the crisis. It’s right out of Mike Harris’s Commonsense Revolution play book: “Create a crisis and show leadership in solving it.”
You gotta hand it to Lunn for sheer stupidity. This issue was fading from public awareness and now he’s re-opened the worm jar. I can’t see how he can weather this. Either he has to resign or his complicit boss has to make him the scapegoat. I’m bettin’ on the latter but not before Harper sez “You’re doin’ a heckuva job, Gary.”
JB
harumph…..
you lack credibility
You do not lack arrogance.