Transport Minister Omar Alghabra today responded to a report by Canada’s auditor general saying that the federal government has not taken sufficient steps to improve surveillance of the country’s Arctic waters, which it says are hindering the country’s ability to detect potential threats to the region.
“Our government agrees with the findings and recommendations in the report and will take steps to address them,” Alghabra told reporters on Parliament Hill on Nov. 15. “We are committed to working with our partners to address long-standing gaps in Arctic maritime domain awareness.”
Auditor General Karen Hogan’s report says the federal government has neglected to take “the required action to address long‑standing gaps affecting its surveillance of Canada’s Arctic waters” which now hinders attempts by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to detect possible foreign activity in the area….