Discussion · Adjournment Proceedings
Jacob Mantle Conservative
“Canada cannot launch rockets with American technology until we finish this safeguards agreement. The U.S. is ahead of us, and we need our own expertise to catch up. When will the government finish this deal?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am not really debating the member on the potential benefits of having a space industry. That is not really the question. The question goes to the heart of what he suggests is the potential opportunity, because that opportunity, or at least a large portion of that opportunity, will not exist unless we complete this technology safeguards agreement. I would invite him to ask Magellan whether it does anything that does not include U.S. technology. I would hazard to say that it does use U.S. technology, and it cannot be launched by rocketry in Canada if it uses U.S. technology. To access the opportunity, we need to complete this agreement. The reality is that many U.S. companies are further advanced than Canada when it comes to this. That is why a lot of rockets and things are being launched from the U.S. rather than Canada. If we want to do it ourselves, we have to build that expertise and knowledge here in Canada. If the member does not know the answer, could he commit to coming back with an answer, or could he give us an update today? When will we see this agreement completed?”
Mr. Speaker, I am not really debating the member on the potential benefits of having a space industry. That is not really the question. The question goes to the heart of what he suggests is the potential opportunity, because that opportunity, or at least a large portion of that opportunity, will not exist unless we complete this technology safeguards agreement. I would invite him to ask Magellan whether it does anything that does not include U.S. technology. I would hazard to say that it does use U.S. technology, and it cannot be launched by rocketry in Canada if it uses U.S. technology. To access the opportunity, we need to complete this agreement. The reality is that many U.S. companies are further advanced than Canada when it comes to this. That is why a lot of rockets and things are being launched from the U.S. rather than Canada. If we want to do it ourselves, we have to build that expertise and knowledge here in Canada. If the member does not know the answer, could he commit to coming back with an answer, or could he give us an update today? When will we see this agreement completed?