OTTAWA \u2013 The Green Party of Canada is calling on the federal government to stop a multi-billion-dollar contract that would hand control of Canada\u2019s nuclear laboratories to a consortium of U.S. corporations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The deal, worth more than $24 billion over 20 years, would be the largest federal contract in Canadian history. It would see Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) managed by \u201cNuclear Laboratories Partners of Canada\u201d \u2014 a consortium led by U.S. companies that already operate American nuclear weapons facilities. At a time when Canada\u2013U.S. relations are strained by tariffs and trade disputes, critics argue it is especially troubling to see American corporations positioned to reap billions from Canada\u2019s nuclear assets while Canadians shoulder the risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Green Party MP Elizabeth May (Saanich\u2013Gulf Islands) sponsored House of Commons petition e-6636, initiated by scientist and activist Ole Hendrickson, which calls for an independent audit by the Auditor General before any new contract is signed. The petition, which has nearly 2000 signatures, closes today and will now await a government response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCanadians deserve transparency when billions of their tax dollars are on the line,\u201d said May. \u201cBefore handing over our nuclear laboratories to foreign contractors, Parliament must demand an independent audit of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. We must not let decisions that affect our health, safety, and environment be made behind closed doors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Concerns about governance failures in Canada\u2019s nuclear sector are longstanding. A coalition of environmental and civil society groups has warned that Canada is the only OECD country to leave decisions on nuclear waste disposal entirely in the hands of its regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission \u2014 a body repeatedly accused of regulatory capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under current proposals, CNL plans to bury a million tonnes of radioactive waste beside the Ottawa River and entomb defunct reactors in concrete at sites in Ontario and Manitoba. Municipalities, Indigenous nations, and independent experts have condemned these projects as dangerous violations of international safety standards that could contaminate drinking water for generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Green Party is urging the government to respect the petition\u2019s call: no new contract should be issued until a full, independent audit is completed, its findings made public, and Parliament has debated the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCanada must manage radioactive waste with the highest standards of safety and accountability,\u201d May said. \u201cInstead of outsourcing responsibility to foreign corporations, our government must step up and protect Canadians and our environment for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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