As I indicated in our defence policy update, the Arctic is becoming a more strategic theatre of potential conflict than was ever the case in the past. As a result of climate change, we are finding that the Arctic is becoming far more accessible. Whereas we used to rely on a frozen ocean to keep us safe, that is now less likely to do the job. We are also seeing the aggressive actions of certain adversaries, particularly China and Russia, really leaning in — in some ways very aggressively through cyber attacks and other types of military-related operations in the North and in other ways simply by trying to make investments in our critical infrastructure in northern communities.

We understand that sovereignty is more than just having a plane fly by every once in a while or a ship sail by when the oceans are free. It means investment. Investments in infrastructure —

Thank you, minister.