The Tories are under pressure to block the proposed sale of a division of Richmond, B.C.-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates -- the maker of the Canadarm -- to an American arms-maker.
Last week, MDA, a provider of essential information solutions, announced the sale of its Information Systems and Geospatial Services operations to Minnesota-based Alliant Techsystems (ATK) for $1.325 billion in cash.
On its website, ATK says its core businesses is conventional munitions and rocket motors and that it is building on that to become the "leading provider of advanced weapon and space systems."
The sale is subject to MDA shareholder approval and regulatory approvals in Canada and the United States.
Paul Cottle, a 31-year-old American-born engineer, resigned from his job of three years at MDA after the company announced the sale. He had helped develop satellite technology for the company.
"I do not want to work for a company like ATK that manufactures weapons that kill civilians and soldiers indiscriminately," Cottle told CTV's Canada AM on Friday.
"That includes weapons such as cluster bombs, depleted uranium rounds, nuclear missiles and land mines."
Cottle, citing Canada's duties under 1997's Mine Ban Treaty, wants Ottawa to block the sale.
"Despite the fact that the United States hasn't signed the Mine Ban Treaty, Canada has, and the first article of the treaty states very explicitly that any country that signs the treaty cannot aid the production of mines that violate it," Cottle told 麻豆影视net on Thursday.
"The fact that Canada would be allowing the sale of a company that was largely funded through Canadian tax dollars to a company that produces these landmines is a clear violation... of the treaty."
MDA would not give an interview but released a statement, saying it will comply with any Canadian laws and the sale is in the best interest of its employees.
ATK said in a statement that it only provides NATO countries and other allies with treaty-compliant systems subject to US government approval.
However, ATK's Spider land mine system is only deemed treaty compliant because it can be deactivated and self-destructed, said Cottle.
"First of all the shut-off switch is allowed a 5 per cent rate of failure and secondly, even if the shut-off switch does work, that still leaves about a half-pound of high explosives sitting out for someone to find," said Cottle.
Additionally, Cottle said the mines can be operated in a "battlefield override switch," a so-called "set-and-forget" mode.
Critics weigh in
Lloyd Axworthy, the former foreign affairs minister who signed the treaty during his tenure, said that the sale could potentially pose a problem for the Canadian government.
"If the manufacturer of this special landmine that the American company is involved in has already been condemned by the landmines monitor, then I think we've got a real problem," he said.
"Especially if there's a continuing of public dollars going into the company to support the space work, there's a real association that takes place in that case."
Axworthy said he was sure the treaty parties would investigate the sale and that if it's approved Canada could end up "in a real political bind with some embarrassment to ourselves as a country."
NDP industry critic Peggy Nash said Thursday that allowing the sale could make Canadian technology a factor in the arms race in space.
"This technology could potentially be part of the weaponization of space,'' Nash told The Canadian Press. "There are serious concerns about where this technology is going.''
Bob Rae, the Liberal foreign affairs critic, highlighted that Canada has invested $430-million in the company's Radarsat project.
"While the manufacture (of mines) would not necessarily be in Canada, we would still be in the position of subsidizing -- through grants and other (technology) subsidies -- a company that's engaged in that business," said Rae. "That's something we have to think through very carefully.''
A spokesperson for Industry Minister Jim Prentice said the deal would be rigorously reviewed "to ensure there's a net benefit to Canada.''
Deirdre McCracken also said that talk of reviewing Canada's international treaty obligations were premature because the government hasn't had time yet to review the deal.
"That's the first time it's been brought up,'' said Deirdre McCracken. "We only heard about the proposed sale last Tuesday.''
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Peter Grainger and files from The Canadian Press
