The House of Commons passed emergency legislation late Tuesday night to reopen an Ontario nuclear reactor that produces most of the world's supply of critical medical isotopes, even though the site has been shut down for safety maintenance.
To pass before Christmas break, the bill needed all party support. Both the Bloc Québécois and the NDP had said they could live with the government's plan to override the advice of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and restart the 50-year-old reactor at Chalk River, Ont.
But Liberal deputy leader Michael Ignatieff said the Liberals would not sign off on the legislation until they were assured "that we've got some guarantees on safety."
Witnesses and experts were called in to the House to face questions about safety concerns and all parties eventually voiced support for the bill, which would effectively suspend CNSC's oversight role for 120 days.
"There will be no nuclear accident," Harper answered in the Commons. "What there will be … is a growing crisis in the medical system here in Canada and around the world if the Liberal party continues to support the regulator obstructing this reactor from coming back on line."
The bill must still be passed by the Liberal-dominated Senate, which will likely deal with it swiftly on Wednesday.
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To pass before Christmas break, the bill needed all party support. Both the Bloc Québécois and the NDP had said they could live with the government's plan to override the advice of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and restart the 50-year-old reactor at Chalk River, Ont.
But Liberal deputy leader Michael Ignatieff said the Liberals would not sign off on the legislation until they were assured "that we've got some guarantees on safety."
Witnesses and experts were called in to the House to face questions about safety concerns and all parties eventually voiced support for the bill, which would effectively suspend CNSC's oversight role for 120 days.
"There will be no nuclear accident," Harper answered in the Commons. "What there will be … is a growing crisis in the medical system here in Canada and around the world if the Liberal party continues to support the regulator obstructing this reactor from coming back on line."
The bill must still be passed by the Liberal-dominated Senate, which will likely deal with it swiftly on Wednesday.
Full Story
Should the nuclear reactor be reopned even though the site has been shut down for safety maintenance?
More...