Rankin Inlet (Oct 18/06) - Interim Liberal Leader Bill Graham is less than enamoured with how the Conservative government views the Northern landscape.

Graham, who was in Rankin Inlet this past week with Nunavut MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell, expressed serious concerns over the direction the Tories appear to be headed with Canada's military presence in the North.

The former Defence minister said while it's vital for Canada to maintain a strong military presence in the Arctic, it's just as important to ensure it's the right type of presence.

Graham said this is not the Cold War and Canada doesn't need a squadron of CF-18s ready to battle Russians flying over the Pole.

He said upgrading the military's surveillance capability should be at the top of the priority list.

"(Of importance) are climate change and the fact there will be new waterways," said Graham.

"There are Russian cruise ships now active in the North that weren't here a few years ago.

"We do have to worry about the Northwest Passage, and that means investment in infrastructure such as radar satellites, super surveillance and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as a way of patrolling the Arctic.

"It also means extensive use of, and support for, the Ranger program, which is extremely important for our sovereignty and very welcome in Inuit communities."

Graham said the government has to beef up its search-and-rescue (SAR) capacity in the North.

He said it's obvious the military is not adequately prepared to deal with searches when a Hercules aircraft has to fly from Trenton, Ont., in response to a call.

"The present government has abandoned renewing the SAR fleet in favour of buying very expensive C-17s down in the United States."

Graham has little use for the notion Canada needs armed icebreakers patrolling the North.

He said the armed icebreakers were cited as a response to American threats to Canadian sovereignty, including submarines under the Arctic ice cap.

"Does anybody really think a Canadian ship is going to sink an American nuclear submarine?

"If the government is insane enough to even be thinking about it, we better throw them out soon or they'll get us into a war with somebody who can beat us rather handily."