Would Canada s approval of the missile defence program lead to jobs in Canada?
Some federal politicians and other proponents of missile defence have suggested that there will be new, well-paid defence industry jobs created in Canada. But such statements appear to be groundless. Both major defence industry associations in Canada whose members might participate in missile defence contracts say their members are not very interested at this time. Ron Kane, spokesperson for the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada, said: “it s too early to tell if the NMD will create any jobs and exports.” Only one study predicts that Canada s official endorsement will lead to jobs. Its author, Bernie Grover, claims that Canada can expect more than $1 billion in NMD-related exports over the next 15 years, creating or sustaining nearly 10,000 jobs. Bill Robinson of Project Ploughshares feels that these predictions are unrealistically high. But, he said, even if correct, 9,640 “jobs” over fifteen years means 643 people (on average) employed in any given year. This is only 482 jobs
