Defence minister says Canada will not pursue nuclear weapons.

Defence Minister David McGuinty said Canada has no intention of developing nuclear weapons and will focus on conventional forces; his remarks responded to former chief Wayne Eyre's suggestion that Canada keep the option open in the future.

Defence Minister David McGuinty told reporters that Canada has no intention of developing its own nuclear weapons and that the country's military expansion will focus on conventional capabilities. He noted Canada is a long-standing non-proliferation state under the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and said there are no plans to change that stance. McGuinty's remarks were made on the way into a weekly cabinet meeting and were given in response to recent comments by former Chief of the Defence Staff Wayne Eyre. Eyre had suggested at a conference that Canada should keep the option of a nuclear deterrent open for the future. Key points: - Defence Minister David McGuinty said in French and English that Canada has no intention of pursuing nuclear arms and that it has been a non-nuclear proliferation state for a long time. - McGuinty said the Canadian Armed Forces will continue to build, rearm, reinvest in and rebuild conventional capabilities. - The remarks were a response to reported comments by former Chief of the Defence Staff Wayne Eyre, who said Canada should consider keeping its options open on nuclear deterrence in the future. - Eyre's comments were reported by the Globe and Mail and La Presse, and Eyre did not immediately respond to requests for comment. - The article noted broader international concerns mentioned by others, including the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Doomsday Clock set at 85 seconds to midnight and the imminent expiry of the New START arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia. Summary: McGuinty reaffirmed Canada's long-standing non-proliferation position and said defence rebuilding will emphasize conventional weapons. He also said he would look into the reported situation regarding the treaty noted in the article. Undetermined at this time.