Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with approximately 937 days left in this Assembly, Mr. Speaker, I wonder what will happen next. Mr. Speaker, in my February statement I talked about being bold, reaching out to the defence Minister, talking about getting investment in the North.
Mr. Speaker, recently a Cabin Radio story talked about Inuvik and Yellowknife becoming the hubs in the North. Mr. Speaker, their story said there's $218 million over 20 years going to be spent. Let's be frank, Mr. Speaker. That's a drop in the bucket as far as defence spending goes. Mr. Speaker, if I spoke in NWT terms, I'd refer to that as 72 kilometers of highway. That's all it is, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, we need northern infrastructure. We need northern bases. Mr. Speaker, we could be the true hubs to protect all 135,000 Northerners from one side, be it the Yukon to the other side; be partners with Nunavut, Mr. Speaker. There's no reason we can't be bold.
Mr. Speaker, historically we always know that we've had Russia, China, and different views of how geopolitical problems work. Now if you read the Globe and Mail, you'll see a former Yellowknifer Nathan VanderKlippe talk about Trump's influence and desperation of saying I'm annexing Canada and I'm taking Greenland with it, Mr. Speaker. Shame on them. Now couldn't be a better time to demand Ottawa starts better spending in the Northwest Territories. Even the city of Yellowknife sent a letter saying that we could be a strategic centre.
Mr. Speaker, that 2 percent NATO spending ain't going to spend itself. Mr. Speaker, we don't need all the F35s, just a couple, Mr. Speaker, because a couple mean tons of jobs, a lot of money, serious investment, and commitment to protecting Northerners.
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague from Boot Lake pointed out that that delegation in a few days, I encourage the Premier to invite MLA for Boot Lake and myself because we feel very strongly about this particular concern, so strongly I wrote a draft joint working group terms of reference in response to the Premier about how could we advocate for more defence spending in the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I want to see money in Inuvik, and I want to see money in Yellowknife, and I want to see Northerners working to help protect Canadians, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when I read the quote in the story a couple days ago and the Premier says the federal government now appears to know that they should come talk to things, actually I reverse it. We should now be on the tips of our toes leaning into Ottawa and saying now's your opportunity, we're open for business, and we need your money. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Members' statements.
