Yellowknife (July 14/06) - Arctic sovereignty is a top priority says Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, while dismissing predecessor Bill Graham's claim that it was an "invented crisis" designed by Conservatives to spend unnecessarily on enhancing northern security.

Both visited Yellowknife this week on very different missions: O'Connor to discuss Conservative plans to strengthen Canada's Arctic forces with Premier Joe Handley; Graham to talk Liberal renewal with local party members.

"I can't imagine why Mr. Graham finds it hard to understand why we want to assert our northern sovereignty," O'Connor said of the interim Liberal leader's "invented crisis" remarks made to Yellowknifer earlier in the day.

"After his spectacular Hans Island visit I find it a bit hypocritical for him to criticize building our (defence) capacity in the North."

In addition to Canada's "diplomatic" dispute with Denmark over the small island between Greenland and Ellesmere Island, O'Connor says Canada has water boundary disagreements with Russia and the U.S.

"Our territory has vast resources and it's in our interest to protect what we have," O'Connor went on, adding the necessity to know when foreign vessels plied Canadian waters - in particular the Northwest Passage - was essential in maintaining Arctic sovereignty.

"We would never impede a country from going through the passage but it must ask for permission, observe our laws and we need the ability to enforce them."

As for achieving this ability, O'Connor would not commit to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's election promise to station three armed icebreakers in the North but did pledge to increase the military's capability to the point of, "Being able to touch every piece of land and water that is in the domain of Canada."

Also, the minister would not commit to building a deep water port in Iqaluit but said, "We're looking at it from an engineering point of view and its practicality."

Of the $17.1 billion the Harper government will spend on the military, enhanced Canadian Ranger Patrols, increased air force presence at Yellowknife's northern command, advanced navy capabilities in the form new ships - as yet undetermined - and enhanced docking facilities in Iqaluit, appear to be the direct northern spinoff.

New military spending will also deliver and maintain for 20 years three supply and transport ships, 2,300 trucks, 16 helicopters, 17 tactical transports and four strategic transports.

- See story about Interim Liberal leader Bill Graham's visit to Yellowknife, page 8.