I suspect many, if not most, Americans are blissfully unaware that there’s a national election in Canada on Monday. Universe Today notes that the Mars Society of Canada sent questionnaires to representatives of the major parties in the weeks ahead of the election, asking for their stand on space issues, including funding for the Canadian Space Agency. The ruling Liberal Party, as well as the Green Party, would keep CSA’s funding at its current level (about $300 million Canadian or US$225 million a year); the New Democrat Party would support CSA but only in peaceful ventures. (Bloc Quebecois, in a French-language response, declined to take any position on space policy.)
http://www.canadianarrow.com/
The canadian Arrow will soon be doing test flights in august.
Canada is in the process of reevaluating its space cooperation with the United States. During a recent talk a representative of the CSA said that they are wary of the estranged relationship between the US and its European partners and are deciding what course they should take.
The Washington Post is reporting ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8751-2004Jun26.html ) that Paul Martin’s Liberal Party is in trouble. Apparently he made a bad mistake calling for early elections. The Conservative Party may win.
I actually talked to Marc Garneau when he was here in Vancouver a few months ago about Canada’s response to the new US space initiative. He said that Canada was in discussion with the US about how to align our activities. The problem is that we only have a $300 million budget, and we’re totally locked into our commitments for the International Space Station until the end of the decade at least.
Ah well, I’m off to vote.
I actually was aware that our Canadian brothers and sisters were participating in a major election. I’m actually much more fascinated with the elcetions of other countries these days, since ours is a bit of a joke (both in terms of candidates and in voter apathy).
We need to aim much, much higher in so many ways…