Uqaqtittiji, please join me in welcoming the new Government of Nunavut, Premier Main and his cabinet, to Ottawa this week.
Canada's Arctic security is particularly important. Liberals meeting with the Government of Nunavut can show that Arctic policy is more than language in a throne speech. Parliament must look beyond megaprojects in the south. Decades of chronic underinvestment means northerners are in overcrowded housing, with limited health services and aging infrastructure. This reality creates security threats. The Arctic cannot be secure if the people who live there are not.
During Qaummagiaq, a time of the return of the sun, Inuit start celebrating the passage of Tauvigjuaq, a time of great darkness. Canada, like the return of the sun, must bring hope that life will bustle again. Working with the new Government of Nunavut can ensure that investments are provided to help keep the Arctic secure.