Iqaluit military base, spending on ‘nation-building’ projects on NDP agenda

An Iqaluit military base, increasing Canada’s defence budget and investing in major infrastructure projects are some of the key items on the New Democratic Party’s Arctic security agenda.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh unveiled his party’s defence plan Sunday morning during a press conference in Iqaluit alongside Nunavut MP Lori Idlout.

“We are living in some dangerous times,” Singh told reporters, pointing to U.S. President Donald Trump’s levying of tariffs on Canadian imports and his threats to make Canada the 51st state.

Singh’s platform commits to meeting the expectation that NATO members spend two per cent of their GDP on defence. He said that under an NDP government, Canada would do that by 2032.

In the current fiscal year, Canada is spending $41 billion on defence, which is 1.37 per cent of the country’s GDP, according to a Parliamentary Budget Officer report.

Singh also said he supports establishing a military base in Iqaluit, as well as seeing the completion of the Nanisivik Naval Facility near Arctic Bay. Then-prime minister Stephen Harper announced the Nanisivik base in 2007, but it was plagued by delays in the start of construction. Now, the project doesn’t have an estimated completion date.

Singh said that in addition to direct investments in the Canadian Forces, including an increase to members’ salaries and building more military housing, spending money on major infrastructure projects are key.

“When we talk about investing in Arctic defence, that means investing in Arctic communities,” he said.

Two of the projects he named were the Grays Bay Road and Port and the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link.

Those projects were on a joint Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. list of priority “nation-building” projects. Combined, the projects could cost billions of dollars according to their proponents.

When asked how he would secure the funding, Singh didn’t elaborate.

“You can’t make the North strong in terms of defense unless the North is strong in terms of community and infrastructure,” he said.

Singh voiced support for the Qikiqtarjuaq deepsea port, paving the Cambridge Bay airport runway, and building small craft harbours across Nunavut.

He also said that his government would “repatriate” Canada’s contract to buy F-35 fighter jets from U.S. company Lockheed Martin and would seek to buy aircraft from Canadian manufacturers such as Bombardier, rather than from an American company.

“Let’s go with the Canadian solution,” he said, saying it’s “better for our national security.”

Singh’s visit followed similar defence commitments from Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Defence Minister Bill Blair.

On March 6, Liberal Defence Minister Bill Blair said his government is committed to building operational support hubs in Iqaluit, Inuvik, and Yellowknife to serve “critical military objectives” in the Arctic.

During a Feb. 10 visit to  Nunavut’s capital, Poilievre pledged a Conservative government would build a military base — CFB Iqaluit — within two years if his party forms the government after the next election.

Singh’s visit took place ahead of a planned visit on Tuesday from Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is expected to speak on Arctic security.

Following the press conference, Singh headed to a meeting with representatives from NTI and Qikiqtani Inuit Association, according to his itinerary.

On Saturday, as part of Singh’s two-day visit to Iqaluit, he and Idlout visited the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre.