Liberals face calls for transparency on nation’s ballistic missile defence

Federal opposition parties are demanding the Trudeau government come clean on whether Canada plans to embrace continental ballistic missile defence, as concerns about North Korea’s nuclear arsenal grow.

Opposition parties have called for an emergency meeting of the House of Commons defence committee on Tuesday so they can be briefed on how Canada is responding to the threat posed by North Korea.

The request comes after North Korea tested a second intercontinental ballistic missile this month, sparking warnings and ultimatums between Pyongyang and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Yet much of the discussion is expected to be on whether the Liberal government intends to reverse Canada’s previous decision and join the U.S. military’s controversial ballistic missile defence system.

“What I want to hear from the government is what are their plans (for BMD), and will they stand by the Canadian government’s long-standing policy,” said NDP foreign affairs critic Helene Laverdiere.

“That is what is unclear and has to be discussed by parliamentarians.”

The U.S. invited Canada more than a decade ago to participate in its missile-defence system, but then-prime minister Paul Martin opted out following an extremely heated national debate in 2005.

The issue remained largely off the radar for more than a decade until the Trudeau Liberals asked defence experts and others to weigh in last year on whether Canada should reverse its earlier decision.