Canadians are proud of our identity as a Northern nation.
Canada’s Arctic has always captured the imagination of Canadians of all backgrounds. Today, it remains a source of tremendous natural beauty and natural wealth. In the future, our Arctic waterways will only grow in their strategic importance.
It is vital that Canadians do whatever it takes to protect and preserve Canadian sovereignty over this vital part of our national identity.
As Prime Minister Stephen Harper said "Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the Arctic. We either use it or lose it."
That is why defending our Arctic sovereignty is a key strategic priority in Canada’s new 20-year ‘Canada First’ Defense Plan.
To improve Arctic surveillance the Conservative Government has turned to Canadian technology, including Polar Class 5 Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships as well as cutting-edge RADARSAT 2 satellite technology. The Conservative Government is expandeding the size and capabilities of the Arctic Rangers to improve enforcement and monitoring on the ground.
The message sent by these new investments is clear. Whether in the water, on the ground, or in space, the Conservative Government will do what it takes to ensure that Canada’s Arctic remains one hundred percent Canadian.
This is a welcome change. For thirteen years, previous Liberal governments seemed content to “lose” our North as they failed to protect or invest in Canada’s Northern sovereignty.
Past Liberal governments let Canada’s armed forces wither, and Canada’s ability to protect our own sovereignty atrophy. Liberals treated Canada’s North like an afterthought and had to rely on the assumed good intentions of other nations in order to maintain Canada’s Arctic claims.
The era of weak Liberal leadership is over. The Conservative Government will not let the weak, directionless leadership of the Stéphane Dion Liberals put Canada’s future Arctic sovereignty at risk.
Instead Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative Government will continue to deliver real action to protect Canada’s North and ensure our Arctic remains a remarkable part of Canada’s natural heritage for generations to come.
Real Leadership. Real Action. Real Results.