Lisa Raitt

[Medical Isotopes, June 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct the record on statements made by the Leader of the Opposition.

In fact, Petten in the Netherlands has increased by 50% its production of medical isotopes. It will be going into a maintenance shutdown. However, the Belgian reactor will then come on to production on July 21.

Moreover, it is completely false that the Australian reactor will not be coming on line for six months. As the Australians themselves indicated in the Canberra Times, it is just a matter of weeks.

[Minister of Natural Resources, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, last Thursday, I announced that we would be restructuring Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, which has been welcomed by a variety of people, not only in terms of workers and employees but in terms of people who are interested in investing collectively in our Canadian nuclear industry.

Indeed, we believe in the Canadian nuclear industry. There are 30,000 jobs now. We want to build more. We want to do more. However, clearly we know that the NDP is not interested in doing that at all because it votes against everything that is beneficial to the worker in Canada.

[Minister of Natural Resources, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have to admit that I am surprised how the hon. member has characterized it.

This government has done much in terms of ensuring there is sufficient funding for AECL to deal with these matters. This government is encouraging AECL and CNSC to do proactive disclosure on websites so people can understand what is going on.

We have taken much action on the matter and it is coming to fruition. Globally we are being recognized as taking leadership on a fragile global medical isotope situation.

[Nuclear Waste, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the Nuclear Waste Management Organization, it is constituted under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act. It is undergoing a very lengthy and a very fulsome process with respect to choosing the appropriate willing and informed community that wishes to become the deep geological repository for waste in nuclear fuel. It is a very lengthy process. It is very well thought out.

The organization has a website in place. I would invite the member to take a look at the website, which shows that public consultations are what follows this summer and that communities should be encouraged to take part.

[Medical Isotopes, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in December of last year, we put out a five-point strategy with respect to dealing with medical isotopes.

Part of it had to do with increasing global supply. Indeed, we have delivered on that plan.

The second part had to do with looking at the longer term with respect to medical isotopes. We are going to name an expert review panel to take a look at those matters. It will be reviewing all of the proposals that we have been receiving. We will have a solution to this problem.

[Medical Isotopes, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I know the microphone got cut off, but I am sure we could all hear the yelling from the other side of the House. As I said yesterday, it is not making it a more compelling issue.

The reality is and the facts are that we are working with the world. It is going along very well. Canada has taken a leadership position. We are working very diligently around the clock on this matter. It is extremely important to all Canadians. That is where our efforts are with respect to the matter.

[Medical Isotopes, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, her hon. colleague has done good work in terms of asking questions in the past and, indeed, on February 10, he asked me a question with respect to the breakdown and the costing of medical isotopes. I gave full disclosure indicating exactly that it was $72 million for the total isotope package. Part of it was for the Maples, which was $25 million for decommissioning, the other part is $47 million, which has to go to pursuing the NRU licence extension past 2011.

The Liberals knew all about it. They are just choosing to take advantage of a very terrible situation.

[Minister of Natural Resources, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as we have indicated, this is a serious matter and indeed we have gone to great lengths to describe the actions that we have taken.

I would just like to go back to what has been indicated earlier, that both the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail indicated it is time to move on and talk about things Canadians truly do care about, not about who did what to whom at what point in time, but rather what is going on with medical isotopes, how we are restructuring the Canadian nuclear industry in order to make more jobs for people, and what this government is actually doing to help Canadians.

[Minister of Natural Resources, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as indicated, this is a serious matter. Corrective action has been taken.

More important, the hon. member opposite oftentimes takes the opportunity in the House to ask me about the situation with respect to isotope supply and I think it is really important that we continue to focus on that.

That is why I was pleased to announce earlier that we have been successful globally in increasing the amount of global isotopes available. Australia has agreed to go online faster than it had originally anticipated. We are working very diligently with our U.S. counterparts on coming up with a solution for this real issue.

[Minister of Natural Resources, June 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as we indicated, there are clear procedures in place dealing with these documents and these matters. Unfortunately, in this case, those clear procedures in place were not followed, and the staff member who was responsible for the documents offered her resignation and we accepted it.