A Conservative government would build a permanent military base in Nunavut and pay for it by 鈥渄ramatically cutting鈥� Canada鈥檚 foreign aid budget, party leader Pierre Poilievre said Monday in Iqaluit.

Speaking at a press conference, Poilievre said CFB Iqaluit would serve as a base for Royal Canadian Air Force operations in the Arctic and for search and rescue missions. He said the base would be operational within two years of his Conservatives being elected to government.

鈥淥ne hundred per cent of the cost of the base will come from the foreign aid budget,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n fact, today鈥檚 announcement will actually reduce the deficit because I plan to cut foreign aid more than the full cost of the announcement that I鈥檝e made today.鈥�

According to a parliamentary report tabled last year, Canada spent $15.5 billion on foreign aid in the 2022-23 fiscal year. That included international assistance in conflict zones like Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan, along with Canada鈥檚 response to large-scale climate disasters.

Poilievre criticized foreign aid spending, saying much of it goes to 鈥渄ictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e got our own problems at home. We have our own backyard to protect,鈥� he said.

When asked what the Conservative leader meant by his reference to 鈥渄ictators鈥� and 鈥渢errorists,鈥� Sebastian Skamski, Poilievre鈥檚 spokesperson, pointed to a speech Poilievre gave to the Conservative caucus in January 2024.

In that speech, Poilievre criticized the government for helping to fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Multiple countries, including Canada, paused funding for UNRWA last year in response to claims that some of the agencies鈥� employees took part in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Last year, UNRWA investigated 19 staff members after claims were raised about their alleged connections to Hamas. In August 2024, UNRWA said that while the allegations against 10 of the staff members could not be substantiated, it was terminating the employment of nine of the employees because evidence suggested they 鈥渕ay have been involved鈥� in the Oct. 7 attack.

The Canadian government gave UNRWA $39 million in 2023. It restored its 2024 payments after seeing an interim report looking into the allegations about alleged UNRWA ties to Hamas.

Poilievre did not offer a concrete estimate of the total size of his proposed 鈥渕assive鈥� cut to the foreign aid budget.

Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok said in a statement Monday afternoon that he is 鈥渉eartened鈥� to see political interest in the Arctic, but reminds Poilievre that decisions about the region can鈥檛 occur without 鈥渟ignificant input鈥� from northerners.

During his press conference, Poilievre said local residents and Inuit groups would be consulted on the construction of the new base.

Akeeagok said it鈥檚 more important 鈥渢han ever鈥� to make significant Arctic investments as the region鈥檚 geopolitical profile rises, and to ensure that community needs are met in the process.

Poilievre said Monday鈥檚 announcement is only part of his Arctic strategy and he will have more to say on other issues, like the regional economy, in the future.

Canada鈥檚 military operates several outposts and training centres in the north.

Poilievre also pledged to double the number of Canadian Rangers to 4,000 and to purchase four heavy icebreakers 鈥� two each for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy.

The government announced construction of two new icebreakers for the Coast Guard last year; those projects are currently listed as in the design phase.

Poilievre said those Coast Guard vessels will be complete by 2029 if he becomes prime minister.

The Conservative leader said his Arctic defence strategy is being driven by a number of foreign threats, including the growing presence of Russian military units and Chinese vessels in the region.

Poilievre said he supports current Norad modernization initiatives and would continue that work if his party is elected, but added that Canada can no longer count on the U.S. to protect the Canadian Arctic.

鈥淲e cannot rely on the Americans to do it for us anymore. This is the reality, this is the wake-up call,鈥� Poilievre said.

Poilievre also said he would respond to U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 threatened 25 per cent tariffs on aluminum and steel imports with matching retaliatory tariffs on American steel and aluminum.

Trump said Sunday he would officially announce the tariffs Monday.

Poilievre said that all proceeds from those tariffs 鈥渨ould be given back鈥� to the Canadian steel and aluminum industry, and any surplus would be used for 鈥渢ax relief.鈥�

Later in his press conference, however, when asked about northern food prices, Poilievre said 鈥渆very penny鈥� collected by counter-tariffs would be used to reduce other taxes to counter cost-of-living pressures.