QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs
Hans Island
June 15, 2022
Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, a couple of days ago, cabinet posted an order-in-council regarding Hans Island and an agreement between Canada and Denmark on the division of Hans Island.
Hans Island is 18 kilometres off the coast of Canada and, in the belief of many, it is a part of Canada. They made an agreement with a country thousands of kilometres away for less than half of the geographic area of the island. Immediately, of course, Canada put an embargo on the media reporting any details about it. Senator Gold, can you please give us some details about what side agreements were made with respect to the division of natural resources, be they petroleum or fisheries resources, on that Hans Island deal that was done behind closed doors?
Thank you for the question. I am aware, as we all are, of the announcement of the deal. I don’t have any details. I don’t know the details of the deal, much less of any side deals that may have been made. I will make inquiries, and I will report back when I get an answer.
