Arctic chill

Ambassador David Wilkins makes it clear that anybody expecting the Cons' platform to improve Canada/U.S. relations is headed for disappointment - and Harper will get to decide between pleasing Bushco or defending Canadian territory:

The United States opposes a plan by prime minister-designate Stephen Harper to deploy military icebreakers in the Arctic in order to assert Canadian sovereignty, says the U.S. ambassador to Canada.

"There's no reason to create a problem that doesn't exist," David Wilkins said Wednesday as he took part in a forum at the University of Western Ontario in London.

"We don't recognize Canada's claims to those waters... Most other countries do not recognize their claim."

During the election campaign, which culminated with Harper's win this week, the Conservatives promised to spend $5.3 billion over five years to defend northern waters against the Americans, Russians and Danes.

Now, the promise to defend the Arctic isn't apparently a priority issue for the Cons, which offers a ready excuse to avoid doing anything. But I'd fully expect the opposition parties in Parliament to be all over any delay in action - and to be willing to work with Harper to make sure that Canada is doing its utmost to supervise its own territory.

With Wilkins ensuring the issue into the public eye, we should expect a quick response from Harper as to which parts of his platform he really meant, and which ones will be forgotten on instructions from Washington. The question of Arctic defence will offer the first real test as to whether Harper really plans to "stand up for Canada", or whether he'll accept the U.S.' word that Canadian sovereignty is a non-issue.