The Fed blocks sale of MDA space division

[The Cosworth]

The federal government on Thursday blocked the $1.3-billion sale of the space technology division of Vancouver-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates to a U.S. firm.

In a letter this week to Alliant Techsystems Inc., Industry Minister Jim Prentice said he is not satisfied the sale will be a net benefit for Canada, the minister confirmed Thursday.

Alliant has been given 30 days to state its case to win approval for the sale.

MDA wanted to sell its space division, which includes Canadarm, Dextre and the Radarsat-2 satellite, to Minneapolis-based Alliant, a major U.S. defence contractor.

Critics of the sale, including former Canadian Space Agency head Marc Garneau, had called on Prentice to block the deal, saying it handed over taxpayer-funded technology and, in the case of Radarsat-2, gave away technology designed to protect Canada's sovereignty.

Alliant had said that if the deal went through, it would honour all of MDA's existing contracts with the Canadian government, including "access protocols" to Radarsat-2 in the event of a national emergency.

On April 8, the House of Commons foreign affairs committee agreed to holdings hearings on the proposed sale.

Prentice had until April 19 to issue a ruling on Alliant's bid for the space business. He was originally due to make a ruling by March 22, but delayed his decision by several weeks.

Question, they said that we will still have access to Radarsat-2 if we ever need it. But what if we go to war with the US at some point, do you think we will still have access to our defense system?

This is f**king stupid.


At least the government stepped in and did something.

[97'Scort]

I was on the fence with this one, but once I saw how much public cash had flowed into these projects and the sale would not benefit the public, I'm glad they blocked the sale.

Hopefully this wasn't a desperation move and the company remains solvent.