Yorkshire CND - Democratic Debate Needed on Missile Defence

Within days a federal cabinet decision could trap Canada into permanently supporting the U.S. military's missile defence scheme.

And Canadians won't know what hit them because Defence Minister John McCallum is keeping the negotiations under wraps.

In May, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien promised, "There will be a debate in the House of Commons . . . we want to know everyone's position."

For Canada's sake let's insist that Chrétien fulfills his promise. Visit http://www.ceasefire.ca right now to send your letter to the Prime Minister asking for a debate in Parliament.

Without your voice Chrétien will let McCallum get away with quietly locking Canada into George W. Bush's missile defence program. They'll forge ahead knowing full well this military extravaganza will be more costly, more dangerous, and just as grotesquely unworkable as the original Ronald Reagan Star Wars scheme.

Don't be surprised. The decision is coming down the pike and will be made in secret. Why secret? Because the government knows that Canadians oppose missile defence.

But we can stop this crazy idea. Canadians are well aware that this U.S. military program endangers our security and will waste billions of dollars - money that needs to be allocated to social programs like health care, housing and alleviating poverty.

That's why I'm asking you to visit http://www.ceasefire.ca today. You can get more information and take action now.

Sadly, the decision to cuddle up to this military scheme will be made to appease global corporations and the American far right after having opposed their war on Iraq.

But even more worrisome, adopting missile defence is just one piece of an even larger agenda - deep integration between Canada and the United States. This idea is being championed by some of the same folks who brought us free trade and who now want Canada to adopt the U.S. dollar and further integrate our economies.

We need to let Prime Minister Chrétien and incoming Prime Minister Paul Martin know that we oppose missile defence.

We've already surrendered our sovereignty in areas such as energy, natural resources, social policy, and so-called harmonization of visa and immigration policy.

Now, Canada will give up even more sovereignty over our country's defence and security by handing decision-making powers to the Pentagon.

We ought to remember that George W. Bush said he considers Canada's water as part of his country's security policy. Thus "deep integration" should come as no surprise - the U.S. President and his Canadian free trade supporters seem to believe Canada is nothing more than a U.S. resource supplier. And it 's unlikely that Paul Martin will stand up for Canada.

Yet there is a growing wave of democratic power that Martin and Chrétien cannot ignore.

Canadians do not want further integration with U.S. social, political and military policies. We believe in our health care. We believe in peacekeeping and not wielding a big stick. We believe in our country. And we believe that we are much safer engaging with the rest of the world instead of forcing our will upon them.

I'm confident that Martin and Chrétien will change their minds when Canadians boldly speak up in favour of Canadian security and Canadian priorities.

Missile defence will be a disaster for Canada. It will undermine our sovereignty and security. It will likely force Canada to spend more money on the military, and on the wrong kind of military priorities at that (war-fighting instead of peacekeeping).

That's why I hope you'll join me and visit http://www.ceasefire.ca to send a letter to Prime Minister Chrétien and copy it to Paul Martin, letting them know that missile defence is unacceptable. And, at the very minimum, let them know they need to be brave enough to make the decision in public and not behind closed doors.