Ruling on sale of [RadarSat2- maker MDA] delayed

Where there's life there's hope.

Mar 20, 2008 02:39 PM THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA–Industry Canada has taken a 30-day extension to review the controversial sale of the Canadian-built Radarsat satellite and Canadarm to a U.S. arms-maker.
Industry Minister Jim Prentice informed Alliant Techsystems that he won't meet the Saturday deadline to approve or reject the proposed sale by Vancouver-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.
Prentice is reviewing the proposed $1.325-billion sale under the Investment Canada Act.
His office issued a release today stating it had "sent the investor a letter advising them that the review process . . . would be extended by 30 days from the date of the letter."
The letter was dated Wednesday, March 19.
The minister would offer no further comment on the sale.
A chorus of critics has called on the government to block the deal, saying it would send cutting-edge, taxpayer-subsidized technology to a foreign country's control.
Many also worry that Canada could lose access to state-of-the-art imaging from the Radarsat-2 satellite of Canada's Far North, where battles over Canadian sovereignty are heating up in lock-step with global warming and receding pack ice.

I can't see what the delay is - if it's wrong now (and it is) then it's wrong in 30 days.

We really only have ourselves to blame allowing all of Canadian space tech to concentrate in one company.

--PB--