Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the meeting I had with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand, Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane, and Yukon Premier Sandy Silver.
As you know in March, Premier Cochrane, Silver, and I sent a joint letter to the Prime Minister outlining our concerns over Arctic security and sovereignty. We noted that any decisions regarding the Arctic should be made in consultation with the people of the North. In addition, we outlined the need to invest in social infrastructure to strengthen our communities considering the renewed threat to Arctic sovereignty.
On April 4 we had an opportunity to discuss these concerns with Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Anand.
In that meeting, I joined the other Northern premiers in outlining the importance of building strong resilient communities and stable infrastructure in asserting sovereignty in the North. We discussed our shared commitment
to ensuring Northern and Arctic communities remain thriving, strong, and safe. We also stressed the needs for investments in housing, infrastructure, health care and mental health, and climate change.
The Prime Minister thanked our governments for our solidarity with, and support to Ukraine and its people in the face of Russia’s invasion. He also noted that the Government of Canada remains committed to supporting the health, security, and prosperity of the Arctic while defending Canadian sovereignty and upholding regional security.
Mr. Speaker, at that meeting both the Prime Minister and Minister Anand reaffirmed their commitment to continuing to work in partnership with the territorial governments on addressing Arctic security and sovereignty.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.