QUESTION PERIOD — National Defence
North American Aerospace Defense Command
March 4, 2022
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Senator Gold, last April our Chief of Defence Staff warned the Senate National Security Committee that Canada needed to put a greater focus on continental defence and NORAD modernization. General Wayne Eyre said:
The Russians are putting tremendous amount of focus on their military capabilities in the North, including significant exercises, projection capabilities, resurrecting Cold War-era bases for their use. So it is something we definitely need to be concerned about.
Leader, what actions has the Trudeau government taken to demonstrate that it takes this threat seriously in the year since the general issued his warning and given Russian threats against NATO partners and the provisions of Article 5 of NATO?
Thank you for your question. Canada continues to work with its NATO allies, on the one hand, and in its own respect to preserve Canadian sovereignty everywhere, including the North. That includes steps to increase the physical assets available to us, as well as continuing investments and research on the cyber side to ensure that all fronts are properly defended.
Thank you, leader. Supplementary to that, given the proximity of our northern border with Russia and our lack of defences — and it is, colleagues and Senator Gold, a lack of defences in Canada’s North, including our territorial waters — what, if anything, is Canada doing to protect and secure our borders?
Again, thank you for the question. It’s an important one. The Government of Canada has a presence in the North and will continue to use that presence to assert and defend its sovereignty. It is also taking steps in light of the recent Russian aggression to register its opposition not only to the aggression but challenges to Canada’s sovereignty in the North and will continue to do so.
