Yellowknife (July 17/06) - Dismissing Liberal claims Northern sovereignty is an "invented crisis," Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor visited Yellowknife last week to discuss the $17.1 billion the Harper government plans to spend on the military.

Enhanced Canadian Ranger Patrols, an increased air force presence at Yellowknife's northern command, advanced naval capabilities and the proposed Iqaluit port topped his list of speaking points.

O'Connor discussed the Conservative's plans to strengthen Canada's Arctic forces with Premier Joe Handley, ironically as his predecessor Liberal Bill Graham was also in the city talking Liberal renewal with Northern party members.

"I can't imagine why Mr. Graham finds it hard to understand why we want to assert our Northern sovereignty," said O'Connor.

"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," he said.

As to achieving this ability, O'Connor would not commit to Conservative leader Stephen Harper's election promise of stationing three armed icebreakers in the North, but did pledge to increase the military's might North of 60 in the near future.