|
Written by Bob Weber, THE CANADIAN PRESS
|
|
Thursday, 28 August 2008 |
This preliminary sketch, released Thursday, Aug. 28 2008, shows the new Polar class, state of the art icebreaker to be christened the John G. Diefenbaker. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ho-Government of Canada
Related Items
No keywords found
INUVIK, N.W.T. - Prime Minister Stephen Harper summoned up the jowly ghost of one of his Conservative predecessors Thursday, announcing that John G. Diefenbaker would be both the name of Canada's new anywhere, anytime icebreaker and the inspiration for his vision of Arctic development.
"He understood that to truly fulfil our national dream, we must accept the challenges and seize the opportunities presented by our North," Harper said amid his three-day Arctic tour.
The $720-million state-of-the-art vessel is to replace the coast guard's current flagship icebreaker in 2017. That ship is named for former Liberal prime minister Louis St-Laurent.
What Harper jokingly referred to as the "Diefenbreaker" would be a "crowning achievement for our country," he said, and a fitting honour for the prime minister who, almost 50 years ago, stood on the same spot to dedicate the then-newly built community of Inuvik.
"As Prime Minister Diefenbaker said as he stood here in 1961, there is a new world emerging above the Arctic Circle."
But that wasn't the only former prime minister Harper invoked.
In comments after the speech, Harper said one of the reasons an election may be needed is that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion has taken his party so far to the left that co-operation between the two parties is becoming impossible.
"He's certainly the Liberal leader who has taken his party farthest to the left since Mr. Trudeau, if not farther than Mr. Trudeau," Harper said.
"The fact that Mr. Dion opposes any expenditure management in any area of government indicates to us obviously why we have increasingly little common ground in Parliament with Mr. Dion and where he is taking the Liberal party. But more importantly, it indicates a direction for the country that I don't think Canadians are prepared to accept."
Harper used the occasion to list his government's initiatives in the North, including pledges of major military infrastructure and equipment and the creation of new parks and protected areas. On Wednesday, he moved to firm up Canada's control of disputed northern waters by announcing that all ships in those seas would be required to register with the coast guard.
The Arctic is expected to be an important plank in the Tory election campaign during an anticipated fall election.
However, northern leaders and opposition politicians have long complained that few Tory Arctic announcements will benefit actual northerners.
Where more than 2,000 kilometres of roads and highways were built in the North under Diefenbaker's 1957-63 governments, N.W.T. Premier Floyd Roland is still waiting for news on his longstanding request for a highway up the Mackenzie Delta.
Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik still has no ports or harbours in any of his 25 coastal communities.
"We're not saying we don't welcome more federal infrastructure military development," said Mary Simon, head of Canada's national Inuit group, Inuit Taparisat Kanatami.
But she said if the Conservatives want to see the North develop, they have to look at "the human dimension."
"If we're not going to get our kids through school, the involvement of Inuit in economic development will continue to be slow."
Nellie Cournoryea, head of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, said the North has always been seen by southerners as a place to make their mark or make their fortune, not as a full-fledged part of Canada with its own needs.
"All the (political) parties are using whatever the new game in town is, and it's Arctic sovereignty," she said. "And we're sitting up here trying to make our lives in this region."
 |
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 August 2008 )
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed
