OTTAWA – The new Conservative foreign affairs critic says the time has come for Canada to consider joining the controversial U.S. ballistic missile defence system for North America.
Erin O’Toole tells The Canadian Press that North Korea’s increased capability to potentially reach North America with a long-range missile is a game changer.
O’Toole was appointed earlier this week as part of new Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s shadow cabinet.
Earlier this week, North Korea test fired a rocket that flew over Japan and landed in the northern Pacific Ocean, the latest in a series of missile tests that has ratcheted up tensions across east Asia and with the Trump administration.
O’Toole’s remarks come after fellow Conservatives MPs refused to stake out a position for their party on missile defence last week when the House of Commons defence committee held a special meeting on North Korea.
O’Toole criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for shutting the door on Canada’s participation in the U.S. missile shield program, saying he was being naive in the face of an escalating threat.