Defence Minister David Pratt says although Canada is launching negotiations with the United States regarding a controversial U.S. missile defence shield, it doesn't mean Ottawa intends to sign on.
"It's an expression of goodwill in terms of good-faith negotiations. It's a desire to have more access to detailed information about the security architecture of the ballistic missile defence system, and it's nothing more than that," Mr. Pratt said Thursday in Ottawa.
"It's not a road that we're proceeding down from which we cannot turn and come back. We take our responsibilities in terms of protection of Canadians very seriously. We want to engage in serious and constructive discussions with the Americans."
Sources told The Globe and Mail this week that the Canadian and U.S. governments will begin formal negotiations soon through an exchange of letters between Mr. Pratt and U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Prime Minister Paul Martin is also likely to discuss the ballistic missile defence (BMD) plan with U.S. President George W. Bush next week at the Summit of the Americas in Mexico.
The multibillion-dollar plan would mean missiles would be placed at ground and sea bases to shoot down incoming missiles from rogue states.
Canada is not likely to decide before a spring election whether to sign on to the plan, but government sources indicated this week that Ottawa is "inching toward the inevitable."
Mr. Pratt said moving ahead will mean taking a closer look at details."The next step would be the signing of a letter of intent, which would allow us further access to detailed U.S. security information," Mr. Pratt said.
He said things should move forward "in the next little while" but wouldn't say if the letter could be signed and delivered before Mr. Martin meets Mr. Bush in Mexico.
MP John Godfrey, who has expressed reservations about BMD in the past, told CBC Newsworld on Thursday that while he favours of an exchange of information with Washington, he wants to see Canada retain some autonomy in the way the program is implemented.
"There are three tests as to whether we enter any kind of deal with the Americans," Mr. Godfrey said.
"Test 1 is, do we have some effective role or influence — we're not just passive, we actually have some determination of how things go? Test 2 — does it significantly and demonstrably increase the security of Canadians? And thirdly, we absolutely have to draw the bottom line at anything that leads to the weaponization of space."
NDP Leader Jack Layton held a news conference Thursday to voice his concerns about the program.He said Canada should say no to participation in a U.S. missile defence program that is "a profoundly dangerous idea."
Mr. Layton said the proposed system won't work, would be frighteningly expensive and destabilize the international situation.
On the other side of the debate, Canadian Alliance defence critic Jay Hill said the fact that Ottawa is set to begin negotiations with the United States on missile defence is "simply more policy dithering by Prime Minister Paul Martin.
"The Liberals have had plenty of time to consider the merits of this program, because our allies advanced it as an option more than seven years ago," said Mr. Hill in a statement. "What's important now is for the government to ensure that Canada plays a leading role. Instead, we get more dithering on a crucially important issue -- protecting Canadian air space."
With reports from Daniel Leblanc, Drew Fagan and Canadian Press
