Only in Canada, eh.

James Randi's Swift - December 2, 2005: "DOES THE CANADIAN PARLIAMENT HAVE TIME FOR ALIENS

See www.randi.org/jr/200509/092305northern.html#1 to refresh your memory about former Canadian Deputy Minister of Defense and later, Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister, Paul Hellyer, who is now asking the Parliament of Canada to hold public hearings on Exopolitics – by which he means, relations with “ETs,” which he defines as, “ethical, advanced extraterrestrial civilizations that may now be visiting Earth.” Despite the fact that there is zero evidence to indicate that an extraterrestrial life exists – though that’s not at all impossible! – and any life form would have to travel incredible distances under incredible conditions, to get here, Mr. Hellyer believes that we should treat this possibility with priority – even while we’re trying to find out how to leave Iraq with dignity and style. In a speech at the University of Toronto, Hellyer has publicly stated:

UFOs are as real as the airplanes that fly over your head… I'm so concerned about what the consequences might be of starting an intergalactic war, that I just think I had to say something… The secrecy involved in all matters pertaining to the Roswell incident was unparalleled. The classification was, from the outset, above top secret, so the vast majority of U.S. officials and politicians, let alone a mere allied Minister of Defense, were never in-the-loop… The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning. The Bush administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the Moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide.

Doesn’t Hellyer do anything to inform himself of the facts about Roswell, UFOs, and the proposed Moon base? But, aside from the incredible content of his speech, what has to get our attention is that Hellyer’s speech was greeted with a standing ovation! Now, in my view, this misplaced enthusiasm may be based on the very wise 1967 United Nations decision that weapons of mass destruction – remember them? – must not be based in space.

We’ll just have to stay tuned. So far, the Canadian Parliament is not rushing to clamber onto the UFO platform."