AECL on Arrow’s flightpath

[CHIMO]

The decision by the Conservative government to tie the sale of AECL to the budget (Bill C-9) will allow the federal cabinet to sell all or part of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), marking the last chapter in yet another Canadian high-tech wonder.

In a parliamentary committee tucked away from the lights and action of the House of Commons, MPs today are scheduled to spend a scant 90 minutes debating and then voting on giving the federal cabinet the right to dispose of Canada’s largest remaining Crown corporation as it sees fit. With it, 30,000 highly skilled jobs become at risk and Canada’s reputation for innovation takes a hit.

Despite the naysayers in the Harper government, AECL has made an extraordinary contribution to Canada’s scientific and technological communities.

AECL has allowed Canada entry into a very exclusive club. Nuclear energy production is confined to only a handful of countries and Canada can trace our involvement to the dawn of the nuclear age.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/807398--aecl-on-arrow-s-flightpath