Ignatieff Supports McMaster's Bid to Produce Isotopes

Michael Ignatieff spoke out on the isotope issue today, stating the Liberal Party's support of McMaster University's proposal to start producing Moly-99 medical isotopes at its research reactor. Ignatieff's statement comes after months of fairly continuous nagging by local media on why the government has been deaf to the University's repeated offers of help throughout this growing crisis.

Maybe now, finally, we'll get a straight answer out of Lisa Raitt on this.

In case you haven't been keeping up, McMaster initially proposed this plan the first time Chalk River went down almost two years ago. It would cost a relatively modest $30 million over 5 years (now they're saying $44 million) and wouldn't require building anything or developing any new technology. In fact, if they had gotten the money and the go-ahead back when they first approached the government, they would be producing all the isotopes Canada needs right now.

The lack of government interest in this seemingly obvious and non-controversial solution is absolutely baffling. So baffling, in fact, that the Hamilton Spectator published an editorial a couple of weeks ago questioning the government's silence.

For two years, McMaster has been lobbying the government to make the university a backup producer. It had previous experience in that role back in the 1970s during a previous Chalk River shutdown. But for reasons no one can explain, Ottawa has been deaf and dumb on the McMaster proposal.

Considering the current crisis, and absolute lack of a backup or any other plan, Ottawa and Atomic Energy Canada Ltd. look very foolish, and inhumane to boot, especially considering the presence of a viable backup option in their own back yard.

That editorial actually provoked a response from Lisa Raitt. Well, sort of. Actually, it reads more like a collection of briefing book talking points strung together in more or less random order:

The government of Canada has made it a priority to work with other countries, nuclear reactor operators and isotope suppliers to improve collaboration on a global scale and to reduce the impacts of the Chalk River nuclear reactor outage on Canadians.

The way the product moves through the supply chain -- how it is purchased, sold and arrives at hospitals -- is the realm of the private sector.

No government can guarantee distribution of specific quantities of product to users at a guaranteed price.

The government of Canada is working to promote market responsiveness and transparency to achieve better, more predictable supply.

In large measure, the system has been coping during the global shortage.

blah blah blah...

Curiously, the word "McMaster" is not mentioned once in her response.

If Lisa Raitt ever does another interview or takes questions at a press conference, I suppose one could ask her point blank what the government intends to do about McMaster's proposal. If she ever decided to do another town hall I'd ask her myself. I've sent her an email, but I'm not holding my breath.

C'mon, Lisa - surprise me. Give me a straight answer. I promise I'll let everybody know.

And the Cheese Stands Alone

You know, when even Japan gives up on a half century of conservative government and moves to the left, Stephen Harper almost starts looking like a maverick.

I'm beginning to wonder if Harper's absence from those two G20 photos was actually because someone told him there was a meeting of the Conservative World Leaders Forum in the men's room.

The Other Side of the al-Megrahi Story

It's funny the stories you don't hear in the North American media.

Take, for example, the seemingly universal outrage over the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the 'Lockerbie Bomber'. U.S. and even Canadian television crews interview outraged family members of his American victims. Amrican, British and Canadian governments condemn the release and/or the Libyan reaction. And whenever those scenes of cheering Libyans greeting him at the airport are shown, commentators express their sympathy and solidarity with the victims' family members who are forced to watch such images - while, of course, continuing to air those images over and over.

What has barely been mentioned in either the U.S. or Canadian coverage of this story is that those cheering Libyans aren't celebrating the acts of a mass murderer - they are celebrating the release of someone they believe to be an innocent man. Even more rarely discussed is the fact that many - some say most - of the Scottish and British family members of the Lockerbie victims agree with them.

I must admit, I had never paid too much attention to this case beyond a vague memory of the original incident and the knowledge that, years later, at least one of the people responsible had been convicted. Thankfully, Gwynne Dyer takes us through the whole history of the Pan Am 103 bombing - from the accidental downing of an Iranian passenger jet by U.S. forces which may have instigated it, to the politically-motivated switch in investigative focus from Iran or Syria to Libya, to the humble Maltese merchant who testified against al-Megrahi and then retired to Australia to spend the millions he was reportedly paid by the U.S. government.

Also under-reported in North America is the fact that the Scots had reviewed his case in 2007, concluded that al-Megrahi "may have suffered a miscarriage of justice", and were preparing to refer his case to the Court of Appeals. That appeal was dropped, however, when al-Megrahi became ill enough to justify his release on compassionate grounds.

There are, of course, those who truly believe that Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi really is the mastermind behind the Pan Am 103 bombing. And they may well be right. But even if the media on this side of the Atlantic chose to ignore the well-documented holes in that version of events, the least they could have done - if only for the sake of the families - was to explain the real reason why all those Libyans were so happy to have him home.

Glenn Beck and The Red Menace

A video portrait of McCarthyism, then and now. Only this time, the Anti-American Commies Destroying the Country are in the government, and the Witch Finder General is in the media.









"McCarthy was a fascist of the worst type. There was nothing American about the man, except having been born in Wisconsin" - Walter Cronkite

Letter to the Editor re: Lisa Raitt

Here's what I sent to the Oakville Beaver today in response to Friday's article:

When Lisa Raitt spoke to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce last week, she touted the government's goal of generating 90% of our electricity from non-emitting sources by 2020, comparing that to the U.K.'s more modest goal of 30% by the same date. While this makes it sound like the Conservative government is setting lofty environmental goals compared to other countries, these figures are somewhat deceptive.

In fact, Canada already generates 76.4% of its electricity through non-emitting sources due to our abundance of hydroelectric resources. So getting to 90% would only require a 17.8% increase in that proportion. The United Kingdom currently generates only 20% of it's electricity through non-emitting sources (largely nuclear), so they are in fact aiming to increase production from these sources by half.

I would have been far more interested in hearing Ms. Raitt's explanation of why her Ministry has spent the past two years ignoring repeated and ongoing requests from McMaster University for the relatively minimal funding they would need to start producing enough medical isotopes at their existing research reactor to solve the current crisis.

Sadly, Ms. Raitt appears to be more interested in boosterism than problem solving.

(published in The Oakville Beaver, Aug. 27th)



(H/T to Liberal Video Depot for the cartoon)

Lisa Raitt: Fun With Energy Numbers

Lisa Raitt spoke at the Oakville Chamber of Commerce this week touting the Conservatives' energy policy. While insisting that fossil fuels are and will continue to be indispensable to Canada's economy for the foreseeable future, she did wax enthusiastic about the government's plans to increase Canada's percentage of non-emitting sources of electricity.

While Raitt said carbon fuels were needed to keep Canada an economic power, she also pointed out that there was a place for renewable energy, which she said is needed to fill the gap created by the desire to cut back on carbon fuel consumption.

To that end, Raitt said, the Government of Canada has committed to having 90 per cent of Canada’s electricity needs met by non-emitting energy sources by 2020.

“Just to contrast what that means, in the UK they have made the promise that they are going to try and get to 30 per cent non-emitting by 2020 and we’re pushing for 90 per cent,” said Raitt.

Wow! That sounds great, doesn't it? Imagine those British slackers setting the bar so low!

Let's think about that for more than a few seconds, shall we?

Canada is one of the largest producers of hydroelectricity in the world. Britain, not so much. So while 90% sounds terribly impressive, it turns out that Canada is already generating 76.4% of its electricity with non-emitting sources.



(I know nuclear isn't completely non-emitting, but these are Raitt's definitions. She also includes "clean coal" as non-emitting.)

The U.K. on the other hand only produces about 20% of it's electricity from non-emitting sources (mainly nuclear).



So let's see... getting from 20% to 30% would mean a 50% increase for the British. But for us, getting from 76.4% to 90% would require only a 17.8% increase.

Canada's New Government: Shifting Environmental Goalposts since 2006.

Garth's New Digs

It looks like Garth Turner might have the nomination in Dufferin-Caledon all locked up. Word from The Hill Times is that the only other candidate in the race, riding association president Jeff May, has announced his intention to withdraw, leaving the field to Turner.

At least it looks like he'll be given a fair shot by the local paper this time.

Given everything that happened in Halton, I found it particularly interesting that there was enough speculation about a deal to justify this adamant denial:

Mr. Turner denied that his switch from the riding of Halton to Dufferin-Caledon was part of any deal.

"I can tell you categorically that Mr. Ignatieff acted independently in selecting a candidate in Halton for whatever reasons that he had. I did not file my nomination papers in Halton so I was not part of that decision. In terms of Halton, I'm aware of no influence from the party whatsoever...There was no deal, period."

All that may well be true. Technically. But given how much was left out of this version of the events Halton and what I've since learned about the machinations of the nomination process... remind me never to play poker with Garth Turner.