Let me jump in.
I take the opposite view. I don't think we need another committee. We've had a Canadian northern or Arctic strategy since 1970. It was articulated by Pierre Trudeau, it was continued during the Mulroney era, and it has continued right through to the present.
Yes, four pillars may go to seven pillars in the latest draft that I've seen from the Government of Canada in the Arctic policy framework, but at the end of the day, it has been about three main things. It's about people, about the environment and about development, although the order and prioritization of resources for it may have shifted over time.
At the end of the day I would love to see a truly non-partisan agreement to say that we've had a strategy in place for almost 50 years at this point. It's one that has been under both Conservative and Liberal banners and has been generated out of all-party committees including NDP representation over the years. It's Canada's northern strategy. Now let's get around to actually investing and properly resourcing that vision.
We have taken great strides. We're not all the way there yet, but we've taken strides by investing a tremendous amount in the last 15 years for redesigning governments within our country in truly innovative ways. The co-management systems and the partnerships we've developed that are allowing us to be in this moment of reconciliation have tools in the north—I think very powerful tools to proceed forward with—that are ones we have built collectively as a country.
I would say that rather than having this be bogged down in committee more—pardon the pun—I'd love to see this adopted as a truly Canadian national policy and recognize that this is something that truly is—