The Harper government’s ongoing negligence on the medical isotope front – most recently refusing to put any money in Budget 2010 for a new multi-use reactor – continues to put lives at risk, Liberal Natural Resources Critic Geoff Regan said today.
“The government’s own expert review panel recommended back in November that money be allocated to start laying the groundwork for a new research reactor, and yet Budget 2010 contains not one red cent,” said Mr. Regan.
At the House of Commons Natural Resources Committee, Mr. Regan asked Natural Resources Minister Paradis, “Is anything in the 2010 budget set aside to lay the groundwork for a new research reactor at Chalk River?” Minister Paradis’ minister’s reply was: “No.”
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., after nearly a year of altering its deadlines for repair, announced last week that that the reactor will be down for at least another eight weeks, which means a delay in resuming production of medical isotopes likely until June.
The Society of Nuclear Medicine says the yearlong shutdown of the Chalk River reactor is putting the health of thousands of Canadian and U.S. patients who depend on medical isotopes in jeopardy.
“Despite these facts, Natural Resources Minister Christian Paradis continues to deny there is a growing crisis with the supply of medical isotopes, while admitting that he isn’t acting on the recommendations from his own review panel,” said Mr. Regan.
Mr. Regan pointed out that Mr. Paradis’ colleague – MP Cheryl Gallant, who has the Chalk River facility in her riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke – has been giving false hope to her constituents that funding for a new reactor is in Budget 2010.
Referring to AECL’s $300 million funding announced in Budget 2010, Ms. Gallant told the Daily Observer that “she hopes a portion of the research and development funding will go towards laying the groundwork for a new research reactor at Chalk River… the financial support that has been given by our government has been consistent and substantial.”
“Ms. Gallant needs to come clean with her constituents, and Minister Paradis must come clean with all Canadians. The government has no idea what to do about Chalk River, which is why they made the decision to simply wash their hands of the nuclear medicine business altogether and are trying to sell off our CANDU technology, potentially to foreign interests.
“The Conservative government is completely ignoring the repercussions of their policies, both on our economy and on the thousands of Canadian families who are worried sick about how their loved ones will get the cancer testing they need and deserve,” he concluded.
Background:
Exchange between Mr. Regan and Minister Paradis at the House of Commons Natural Resources Committee, March 18, 2010:
Hon. Geoff Regan: So in relation to this, is anything in the 2010 budget set aside to lay the groundwork for a new research reactor at Chalk River?
Hon. Christian Paradis: No.
Hon. Geoff Regan: Nothing. There’s nothing in the 2010-11 budget for a new reactor at Chalk River?
L’hon. Christian Paradis: Comme je vous dis, tout d’abord, il faut prendre une position sur ce rapport. C’est présentement ce qu’on fait, au niveau de notre gouvernement. Les sommes qui sont réservées, dans le budget de 2010, servent essentiellement à ce que le sous-ministre adjoint vient de vous dire à l’instant.
