From what I understand, Mr. Binder, the process of abiding by all the rules and standards in order to obtain a licence extension is rather long. We have an old reactor whose licence will expire in 2011 and we need an alternative. We want to know if the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission will be strong enough and independent enough in order to enforce the law and the safety rules. The commission was already disturbed last winter.
How can taxpayers be sure that extending the life of the NRU reactor will be safe? It makes me think of an old car that is constantly being fixed up. There comes a time when you can no longer continue to fix it. Based on what you know, how much longer can the NRU last? Will it be able to be upgraded indefinitely or will we have to stop using it one day?