It's urgent for Canada to plan and execute the replacement of its fleet of medium-class icebreakers by much more powerful and versatile ships. The building of these new fleets, now scheduled to start in 2020, should actually begin now. It's also important that these new icebreakers be given a multi-task role, including escort, de-icing, research and rescue, sealift, national security and surveillance, and military operations, but also including support for scientific research and the implementation of fisheries and shipping regulations and policies.
In general, analysts and stakeholders agree that the development of this new fleet of icebreakers is unnecessarily slow. It should be much faster. It could be substantially accelerated, which would provide new economic incentives in several regions of Canada.
National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard already collaborate on several fronts in the Arctic, so I think the military expertise of DND and the navigational expertise of the coast guard in icy waters should be combined to implement Canada's strategic goals and policy in the Arctic, rather than giving the mandate in total to one or the other of these two agencies. There also is a need to move up the Arctic in the priorities of DND headquarters, from my personal experience.
That's my message to you this afternoon.
Again, thank you very much for inviting me.