I note that today during the joint news conference with President Bush, PM Harper indicated that his government was not pursuing a missile defence option at this time. Reading between the lines ... yet that is until we have a majority government. The second question about the Cdn. public reaction is still open for comment though.

Canada doesn't have to pursue its own BMD program. It can provide research money and experts to contribute in the name of "general R&D". I'm sure Ottowa knows that NK would just as soon launch a missile at Canada to put pressure on the US.

"I'm sure Ottowa knows that NK would just as soon launch a missile at Canada to put pressure on the US." That would be a mistake of catastrophic proportions as we are part of NORAD and by mutual agreement an attack on one of us would be interpreted as an attack on both of our nations and N. Korea would start to abnormally glow in the dark within a short time frame courtesy of USN, and USAF nukes. Of concern for several military observers is not only the N. Korean's land base missiles, but potential sub-launched nukes and of course the expedient of a nuke being detonated inside a North American harbour after having being smuggled in via a 'trojan horse' that could be anything from a fishing trawler to a freighter.