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4 December 2004 |
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/... |
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OTTAWA and TORONTO -- Opposition politicians charged yesterday that the government is withholding basic information on possible Canadian participation in the U.S. missile defence system, insisting the Liberals are thwarting the debate in a bid to quiet a controversial issue. The debate was reignited in Ottawa when, during a visit this week, U.S. President George W. Bush asked Canada to join the planned missile-defence system to shoot down "rogue" missiles fired by North Korea or another country. But Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew brushed off Mr. Bush's statements as an expression of desire, not a direct request -- while the opposition demanded more information so the debate can go ahead. "We are led to believe that they have much more information in much more detail than they're willing to make public at this time," deputy Conservative leader Peter MacKay charged yesterday. He said he believes that the government has documents outlining the part Canada would be expected to play, and at what cost. "The government is being very shadowy and very mysterious about where that information is and if they are even in possession of that information," he said. New Democratic Party MP Libby Davies complained that her party was not given even a basic briefing that was promised a month ago. And both parties said it should have been no surprise that Mr. Bush asked Canada to join the program, and it is up to the Liberal government to move quickly to allow debate to begin. "I'm still shocked that anyone would feign surprise that the President would raise this issue. . . . He telegraphed that this was on his agenda whether the Canadian government wanted, or were prepared for it, or not," Mr. MacKay said. "To suggest that we're going to be able to simply sidestep the issue or somehow avoid taking a position at some point in the very near future is naive." Mr. Pettigrew brushed off the pressure from the U.S. President yesterday, insisting that his call for Canada to join in the system did not amount to a request. "The words came from the most powerful leader in the world, I'll agree, but what he said was 'I hope.' He did not say, 'I want,' 'We demand,' he said 'I hope.' "When a President of the United States says 'I hope,' it is not an extremely pressing request." Ottawa has yet to outline what Canadian participation could entail, including whether any parts of the system -- radar detection or weapons -- could be in Canada. In August, Canada agreed to widen the treaty governing NORAD to allow that joint-air defence system to provide detection information for the missile-defence system, so that a separate U.S. command would not be required. But although Prime Minister Paul Martin has insisted his government will not take part in any system if it leads to weapons in space, the U.S. government has made no such distinction and has included space-based anti-missile weaponry in its long-term planning. "We will say no to the weaponization of space. In the meantime, we are really discussing with the Americans what exactly the impacts of this missile-defence system will be for Canada," Mr. Pettigrew told the Commons yesterday. The issue of missile defence was raised yesterday morning at a breakfast meeting in a Toronto hotel between Mr. Martin and members of the Canadian Autoworkers Union. Mr. Martin left that event without offering any insight into what had been discussed. But, after listening to the Prime Minister's views, CAW leader Buzz Hargrove said he believes Mr. Martin is in a difficult position. "My sense of it is he's not firm on any part of it at this point," Mr. Hargrove said. "The one area that he was very clear on is that militarization of space . . . he is absolutely not buying into that. The CAW has opposed missile defence and Mr. Hargrove said he intends to recommend that the union maintain that position. The U.S. military has already begun installing long-range missile interceptors in Alaska. The multibillion-dollar system is still being tested.
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