Martin Will Reject (Canada's involvement in) Missile Defence: Report

CBC News ^ | February 22, 2005 | CBC Online Staff

[NorthOf45]

Martin will reject missile defence: report

CBC News
February 22, 2005

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Paul Martin will reject Canadian participation in the full U.S. missile defence program, CBC News has learned.

Martin plans to announce in the House of Commons as early as Thursday that the country will not partake fully in the controversial program, the CBC's French-language network reported Tuesday.

The news comes hours after Canada's next ambassador to the United States, Frank McKenna, set off a storm by saying Canada is already taking part in the program because it has agreed Norad can monitor the skies for incoming missiles.

Martin's planned announcement will mark an abrupt change from his position 16 months ago during the Liberal leadership race, when he signaled that Canada should partake in missile defence. Since then, Martin has insisted that he hasn't reached a decision on whether Canada should be a full partner.

Prime Minister Paul Martin will reject the missile shield as early as Thursday, the CBC has learned. And just two months ago, U.S. President George W. Bush pressed Martin publicly to sign on, saying on a visit to Halifax that he hoped the two countries would soon move forward to co-operate on ballistic missile defence.

But federal officials, who wished to remain anonymous, told the CBC's Radio-Canada that domestic considerations may have outweighed pressure from Washington.

Martin's government lost its majority last spring and the Bloc Québécois and the New Democrats oppose the plan, while the Conservatives support it but want a full debate on Canada's role.

As well, Martin faces stiff resistance in his own caucus. The Liberals also want to improve their fortunes in Quebec, where there seems to be little support for missile defence.

Federal officials told the Canadian Press that the United States was informed of Canada's decision at the NATO summit in Brussels.

"[The Americans] were told we will not participate," a federal official, who asked to remain anonymous, told the agency.

"It is a firm 'no.' I am not sure it is an indefinite 'no.''"

-snip-

[NorthOf45]

I know the libs are a tough pill to swallow, but remember that those businesses that provide for vacationers likely don't even support the libs. They, the fishing/touring companies, would be hurt more than the government by the loss of business such a yours.

[GMMAC]

Former Liberal PM MacKenzie King dissembling during the World War Two "Conscription Crisis"*:
(* a proposed national military draft which - surprise! - most of the French opposed)

"Conscription if necessary but, not necessarily conscription."

The Liberal Party of Canada in a nutshell!

[NorthOf45]

Yes, in liberal style, he left some room to squirm.

[o_zarkman44]

I guess we will just fly our misiles on over Canada anyhow. What are they gonna do about it?

Just what we need. A socialist country bordering America to give encouragement to the liberal DUh socialists here.
bahhhhh

[shibumi]

I wonder if the northerners will also reject the defensive coverage an operational system provides?

Maybe we can just program a "hole" in it around Ottawa, Toronto and Quebec.

[cake_crumb]

Well it's actually a cabin and we provide the boat, but I get your drift. We've always loved it up there and the people ARE very nice. Much like rural areas here, we play dice, talk about hunting, fishing and how tough it can be to find a job when you're young and just starting out. Besides, we miss the beer. OK, we'll reconsider.

[cake_crumb]

Is that anything like mandatory volunteerism (Clinton/Gore)?

[albertabound]

This appeared this morning.

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=266f3d44-0809-404f-ab23-459ae67fd65c

[albertabound]

Just in case the Liberals position remains unclear....read this gem...

http://www.reuters.ca/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp;:421b9758:5e7757273d86d1a?type=topNews&localeKey=en_CA&storyID=7704024

[Calvin Locke]

Steyn had a column last week that implied that Paul Desmarais runs Canada's politicians. Desmarais
owns/controls Power Corp, Paul Martin's former employer, his son is married to Chretien's daughter,
owns/controls Total Co., which used to have a big oil field development deal with Saddam Hussein.

Did I mention he owns/controls the French bank that's at center of the UN's Oil for Food scandal?

And the next apparent president of France was visiting him recently?

Martin certainly did turn out to be a joke. I get a couple of Montreal tv stations, and I used to listen
to Radio Canada until they changed the schedule last fall.

But, he may be a joke by proxy...

[cake_crumb]

"Foremost among those is to ensure weapons system don't extend into space, which could spark a new international arms war."

I know the Canadian libs have a problem with arms in space, but they REALLY need to get into the era. Note to Canadian government : you're a couple of decades too late. We might not have had the necessary technology when President Reagan was bluffing Gorbie about "Star Wars", but the work proceeded immediately and has continued ever since.

The "new international arms war" McKenna is so worried about is already past the first stages. I can see living in rose colored glasses, but is the whole Canadian government living under a ROCK? And Chretien says Americans are backward!

[lame_internet_name]

"Foremost among those is to ensure weapons system don't extend into space, which could spark a new international arms war."

All this talk about not wanting to develop space weapons has no meaning whatsoever.

All long range ballistic missiles, which have been with us for over half a century, are inherently space space weapons. They must fly above the atmosphere to achieve their great range, which means they are flying in space. That makes them space weapons in my book. The first space weapon was the V-2, which had its first successful test flight (which went above the atmosphere) in 1942 and was first used in combat in 1944.

Anybody who wants to stop the development of space weapons is 63 years too late.

[youngtory]

This loser is supposed to let the House of Commons make the decision, this is by far the most undemocratic PM ever.

[albertabound]

I may be optmistically naive, but we may be observing the self destruction of these liberal phonies.

[NorthOf45]

I'll stick my nose in here and say that I concur.

[NZerFromHK]

This is the country of what a Prime Minister Latham, or anyone from the ALP running the show would do to Australia.

Thank God a majority of Australians are saner.

[NZerFromHK]

Oops, the ALP Left - the average ALP (Kim Beazley, Bob Carr, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating) is still to the right of the Canadian Liberal Party.

[NorthOf45]

Send some sanity our way ... please!