Mr. Speaker, it is budget time, an opportunity for the government to focus on significant cost saving items such as the annual subsidy to Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Since its inception, AECL has received over $16 billion in subsidies. Last year's subsidy was $156 million.
The original plan of AECL was to sell 10 new nuclear reactors in 10 years. However, there is currently no prospects for nuclear reactor sales.
The auditor general has repeatedly criticized this crown corporation for poor accounting practices because it does not include in its balance sheet the cost of nuclear waste disposal and decommissioning of nuclear power plants.
The government could save a large sum of money by cancelling this subsidy, intended to promote elusive nuclear reactor sales, and invest this sum instead in social, health and environmental programs.