Dion's Arctic Promises
Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion, who completed a three-day Arctic tour Sunday, said that stationing search-and-rescue planes in the North will help protect Canada's sovereignty in the region.
Currently, aircraft from more southerly bases such as Trenton and Winnipeg respond to search-and-rescue requests in the Arctic.
Dion, who was in Cambridge Bay on Saturday as part of his tour, said a Liberal government would locate two search-and-research planes in Iqaluit and two in Yellowknife.
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He also pledged to re-establish an ambassador for the Arctic, which he says the Conservatives have shamefully cut.
I am very much in favour of the search-and-rescue idea, not least of which because I happen to have to travel across the north on a fairly frequent basis. Having such long lead times on search-and-rescue aircraft isn't really acceptable, particularly if you are expecting greater economic activity in the region.
The ambassador position is also important, especially given the importance of diplomacy in the hashing out of boundaries in the newly melting Arctic.
But a spokesman for Defence Minister Peter MacKay countered that Dion's Liberal party was in power for a decade and all but ignored the North, while pointing to several government military commitments in the region.
Of course, the Conservatives have promised to build a bunch of practically worthless patrol boats, and I haven't been terribly impressed with their other military promises, either.
Unfortunately, one of the things I have learned from living and working in the north for the better part of the last two decades, is that our politicians are long on promises and short on actions, regardless of party affiliation I like Dion's ideas, but I won't hold my breath waiting for them if he ever gets elected.
