News reports are still clamoring over whether Lisa Raitt should resign or be fired. How did Steve Maher get the tape, what else might be on that tape. Aside from a quick question from Tom Clark on Power Play that David McGuinty never addressed, and a similar question Dan Matheson asked Dipper Nathan Cullen, not one person on Parliament Hill has come up with a long term solution for the global isotope shortage.
Why? Because at the present time, there isn't one. There are only a handful of facilities around the globe capable of producing isotopes that are critical in the screening of various types of cancer. Governments around the globe deserve some blame, both current and previous governments going back 20+ years. It's hard to imagine why no government has taken the lead in making this the priority it should be. As it stands now, Australia appears to have done the best job, with their state of the art OPAL facility set to start production in a few weeks. This facility will be able to produce four times the production of isotopes of the plant it is replacing. The plant in the Netherlands has increased production 50% to try and fill the gap while Chalk River undergoes necessary repairs.
The problem is the world's population isn't receding, but growing, and one would imagine that as the population grows, so will the demand for isotopes. It's a little rich for the Liberals led by Michael Ignatieff to pin this as a Conservative problem. Those pipes never started rusting in January, 2006. At the same time its also unfair for the governing party to point direct fingers at the Liberals 13 years previously in power as the result of today's problems. The fact is Chalk River is in the area of 52 years old. Things wear out. Metal corrodes. New technology becomes available resulting in needed upgrades, which normally require the aged facility to be shuttered while repairs and upgrades are performed.
The Maple reactors, despite $600 million being poured in over the years, appear to be abandoned without ever producing a single isotope. It boggles my mind that with today's technology, especially in the area of computer programming, that these reactors could not be put into production with a series of safeguards to prevent any accidents or spills. And at a time when we should be coming up with a solution, we have the mayor of Toronto crying because he can't get $1.2 billion for streetcars that won't be on the tracks for 2-7 years. We see millions in government waste due to cronyism and patronage, ironically enough supposedly spent to improve health care in Ontario. We see companies that have been mismanaged for years getting billions in government money. We have the leader of the Green Party making remarks about the minister of natural resources fumbling the isotopes issue, while she and her own party are against nuclear facilities.
Perhaps it might serve the Canadian public if our elected representatives turned their attention to our real needs, instead of worrying about gossip and who's ahead or behind in the newest poll. We've seen committees set up for a PM out of office since 1993, nannies, election spending. we see finger pointing from both sides of the house, seeing who can score the best one-liner for that 15 minutes of TV time daily.
The only thing missing from the House of Commons now is that women saying I see Stephen, and Michael, and Gilles, and Jack. Because the more I watch it the more it reminds me of Romper Room.
27 comments:
You are right the real issue should be addressed. So why is that tart, Lisa (second) Raitt, bragging about winning this "sexy" issue? People all overthe world need the isotopes for lifesaving medical procedures and all she can think of is her career. This callous...person...should be dismissed by Harper. And she should apologize.
This government shows horribly poor judgment.
The kids at Romper Room were always much better behaved. ;)
Harper should dump this silly woman.
Now you know why Harper silenced his ministers. They are idiots.
Thanks to all the anons for adressing the real issue, the isotope shortage. You would all appear to have a bright future in politics.
Miss Nancy sees......
(first one I believe)
TOO FUNNY, pausstuff!
Do BEE good Don't BEE bad... haha!
LOL Bec. Jasmine McDonnell can't remember where she left stuff and I can remember tv shows from 40 years ago.
'It's hard to imagine why no government has taken the lead in making this the priority it should be.'
Everything is a priority, everything.
Miller's transit, auto bailouts, EI fixing, cultural funding, stimulus funding, tax cuts, taking care of the most vulnerable....everything is a priority for the government to fix/fund and the taxpayer to pay for.
Why is little Canada supplying 80% of the world's isotopes?
There are more people living in New York City than in all of Canada,
and WE are the main supplier?
It's not like Canada holds the secrets to nuclear reactors.
If there was money to be made, surely every country would be competing for the market, even if it was a ten year process.
ZING Paul! I see your trolls have just as good solutions to the 'crisis' as the Lib/Diaper MP's!
oops just noticed my spelling error above,think I'll leave it,it somehow fits!
I had not read any of the comments before commenting so I support your asking to stay on topic.
I think that Minister Raitt, has taken up the challenge and is going to look pretty damn good when she has a chance to fufill her mandate. She may surprise everyone and I am sure that if she said anything about Minister Prentice, he deserved it! haha
trolls sure are pestering you tonite eh Paul!
''Ms. Raitt's brother Colin MacCormack died of lung cancer (caused by PCBs and dioxins, she told the Toronto Star's Rick Brennan last fall).
His death at the age of 37 pushed her to get a master's in chemistry specializing in environmental biochemical toxicology;
you think she doesn't know that cancer isn't sexy?''
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/columnists/christie-blatchford/nothing-sexy-in-feeding-frenzy-over-raitt-tape/article1175678/
The anons would all be right at home in the opposition benches, all bile and no brains.
The Liberals manged to waste thirteen years doing zip and a lot of money on the Maple Project. There should be something salvageable out of that fiasco rather than having to start from square one again.
Bruce
The anons would all be right at home in the opposition benches, all bile and no brains.
The Liberals manged to waste thirteen years doing zip and a lot of money on the Maple Project. There should be something salvageable out of that fiasco rather than having to start from square one again.
Bruce
Nobody wants anything nuclear in their backyard especially the environmentalists. I assume that is why there is such a shortage.
Sammy,
ROTFLMAO!! Oh my how I adore your humour! hugs kiddo!
Ditto wilson! Excellent analysis and you just lay it all out each and every time, with so much insight! Kudos!
Raitt said she could solve the isotope issue 5 months ago "by throwing money at it". Sounds like a Stelmach conservative.
When the tape was made the plant was up and running. So your point is?
Raitt sees a career opportunity and the rest of us want to talk about the real issue.
Raitt sounds like a psychopath looking after her career and not caring about fixing the isotope issue.
She should take her narcicism routine somewhere else.
Defending her only helps Liberals win public support.
"Raitt sounds like a psychopath looking after her career and not caring about fixing the isotope issue."
Actually according to the tape she says she will get the credit when she fixes the problem.
I think most *thinking* people with intact brains can see that it is the opposition sewer rats along with a complicit MSM who are milking this and making it worse in order TO ENHANCE THEIR OWN CAREERS.
Way to go, guys, upsetting cancer patients like that. Losers!
The feigned outrage these people put on is so transparent.
BTW, Marlene Jennings' new haircut looks horrible on her. Matches her personality, though.
Paulstuff, she said that 5 months ago and the problem is not fixed. She saw this health crisis as a career opportunity. No interest in public service there.
"At the same time its also unfair for the governing party to point direct fingers at the Liberals 13 years previously in power as the result of today's problems. The fact is Chalk River is in the area of 52 years old. Things wear out."
Actually, had the liberals managed to get those maple reactors running and functional then we wouldn't of been relying so heavily on chalk river.
As for the tape argument, when it was recorded is what matters, its not like she said that only days ago. People shouldn't be all in such a rush to be in a huff about things especially when the time and date as well as full context had be explored/explained.
The opposition parties are far more opportunist than miss Raitt given their constant race to jump on any little issue regardless of relevance, jurisdiction, cost or factual consistency.
Where ever the political winds and gossip/crap media takes them.
Wilson, what on earth are you blathering about?
There are more people living in New York City than in all of Canada,
and WE are the main supplier?
It's not like Canada holds the secrets to nuclear reactors.
Well, first off:
New York City Pop.: 8.3M (2007 Est.)
New York State Pop.: 19.3M (2007 Est.)
Canada Pop.: 33.5M (2009 Est.)
And second, the Chalk River plant was long on the forefront of isotope research. So yes, we do hold some nuclear reactor secrets. That being said, consider also the long run-up on even a small isotope reactor. The NRC built the Chalk River facility in the 1940s and 50s: it's been producing isotopes for a long time. Rather than pay out the tremendous capital expenditure required to create a new one, most governments would be inclined to continue buying from a reliable source. Shortsighted? Sure. But if they wanted to make a redundant isotope source (and thereby reduce the potential profit from the facility even as they build it), they'd have to forgo tax cuts. And we all know which is more important.
I am still waiting to find out how the tape got from the car in BC, to a bathroom in the PPG, in Ottawa, to a reporter from a paper in Halifax.
And this was made in Jan, just a few days after the HofC reconvened. The media and Iggy are trying to spin this that the tape was made last week.
And she was right re the Health Minister. Rookie MP, at the Fed Level where things are much more vicious in QP than she faced where she lives.
I take what Lisa said as, she hoped she could help solve some of the problems facing her.
And for those that are upset at the word sexy, have they never been out in public and overheard conversations in malls, restaurants or on the street. Sexy and fuddle duddle are very common words. I don't like it, but that is a fact.
I grew up in an era where a boy or man never swore in front of a female of any age. If they did, they were reprimanded by other males in the group.
the Artful Nudger makes sense. I have engineering friends who worked at Chalk River in the '70s and it sucked money even then and it was clear to my friends that the facility was fast becoming a rust bucket then...and still government after government put money into keeping it live.
Until now, when this gov't is finally doing something about it.
If Raitt knew the crap that was flying around about her on blogs I can only assume she'd be disgusted that this was still an issue.
I know that I would be in her spot.
The thing now is with today's technology there is no reason a new facilty could not be built that would last decades. Take a look at new vehicles. Engineers have perfected the paint process using phosphate and an electro-static charge so that the metal will never rust unless that coating becomes damaged.
New techniques invovling powder coating can also apply a finish that would last pretty much to eternity. Couple that with IT development, and there should be no reason a facilty could not be built without worry of needing monthly repairs, as well as numerous safeguards to prevent leaks or radiation exposure.
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