Lisa Raitt

[Medical Isotopes, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, the question is very timely. This is a situation in which we need to be clear and we need to communicate clearly. It is a situation that requires a concerted international effort as well.

Today, our government established an expert review panel to assess proposals from the private sector that we received, as well as proposals we have received from research organizations and universities.

Last week, our government led an international meeting of isotope-producing companies. We will do so again next week. In June, there will be a meeting in Toronto to discuss the issue of increasing the global supply.

[Medical Isotopes, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her question because a fundamental part of the restructuring is for Canada to be able to take advantage of the nuclear renaissance in selling nuclear reactors in the world that is currently happening so that we can have a better Canadian industry, with high paid, high skilled jobs, and a developing and growing industry. That is why we are restructuring AECL.

[Medical Isotopes, May 28th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, there are two parts to the announcement today. The first one talked about how this government believes in the Canadian nuclear industry and we plan on strengthening it through the restructuring of AECL.

The second part of the announcement today was the announcement that we have appointed an expert review panel to take a look at the numerous proposals that we have received upon our call in December of last year to a response regarding medical isotopes for the future. We will be asking this expert review panel to review the submissions received and report to us in the fall.

[Medical Isotopes, May 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Ottawa South for his interest in the file.

What would have been very helpful to this file that I and the government are faced with today is if he had actually brought his concerns to the member for Markham—Unionville when he was the minister of natural resources and could have dealt with this issue at that point in time.

Thirteen years, five Liberal cabinet ministers dealing with this issue in front of them and they did nothing.

[Medical Isotopes, May 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, this government has taken great action with respect to the isotope file. In December of last year, we set out a five point plan in which we indicated we understood the difficulty in the supply chain regarding medical isotopes and that we would take action toward it.

We have taken action and the Minister of Health is working with the provinces and territories to deal with the shortage of supply, My officials, along with myself, are reaching out to the other isotope producing countries in order to increase the supply in the world.

[Medical Isotopes, May 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as I indicated, this is a global issue. There are five reactors in the world that supply medical isotopes of this sort.

As we are one of the largest suppliers of medical isotopes in the world, we have been meeting with our global partners on the issue in order to search out ways to increase the supply of isotopes to the world in general. In fact, through our interventions, South Africa has increased its medical isotopes to North America and will be helping in terms of the global shortage.

[Medical Isotopes, May 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in December 2008, the government set out a five point plan in a statement to deal with contingencies associated with a shortage of medical isotopes. We followed up on all of those and, in fact, have put all those into place.

In terms of the use of the medical isotopes, I will answer the question of the member for Winnipeg North with a quote from Dr. Thomas Perry, a past B.C. NDP provincial cabinet minister and a professor at the University of British Columbia. who said, “I've been struggling to think of a nuclear medicine procedure that cannot be achieved by another medium, another technique”.

There are other ways to deal with it and we are--

[Medical Isotopes, May 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, in December we released a statement indicating our five point plan to deal with contingencies in case of an unexpected medical isotope shortage. We have put those five steps into play, and I highlighted those previously.

As well, I think it is important to point out that in 13 years five Liberal cabinet ministers had been privy to the information regarding this reactor and the five cabinet ministers did nothing.

[Medical Isotopes, May 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his concern on the issue. Indeed, it is serious.

AECL informed us last week that it would not be restarting the national research universal reactor. As a result, we do have a shortage in medical isotopes at the moment.

The government is working in two ways.

First, we are seeking to ensure global supply. This is a global issue. We are working with our counterparts in four other countries in order to increase global supply.

Second, we are working to manage the shortage that we currently have. The Minister of Health is reaching out to the provinces and the territories. She is speaking with them about triage, prioritization and alternate methods.

[The Environment, May 13th, 2009]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Contrary to what the Liberals like to think on the other side of the House, the reality is the greatest threat to Canada's ability to be clean and green in the future is the fact that for 10 years they did nothing.