The Yukon's premier and its MP offered very diverging views of the federal government's move to consolidate its plans for Canada's North.

Announced last Sunday by federal ministers Chuck Strahl, Lawrence Cannon and Gary Goodyear, Canada's Northern Strategy: Our North, Our Heritage, Our Future documents the Conservative government's spending promises and comes with a website -

www.northernstrategy.gc.ca - providing updates on the progress of such commitments.

Much ado about nothing is how Yukon Liberal MP Larry Bagnell describes it.

"Even Strahl commented that there was nothing new in the ... announcement," said Bagnell, referring to a Globe and Mail report quoting such an admission by the Indian Affairs minister.

Bagnell, the Liberal critic for northern affairs, said Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has not delivered on a variety of northern fronts.

"The prime minister's first promise, when he asked northerners to vote for him, was that he would build three armed icebreakers," said Bagnell. "He's never apologized for breaking this promise and canceling two of those icebreakers."

While a program to acquire up to eight new navy vessels that could operate year-round in the North is delayed due to cost overruns, the government has ordered just one icebreaker.

Bagnell also criticized Harper for cribbing former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin's 2004 northern strategy.

"It had four of the pillars of Martin's strategy announced back in November 2004," added Bagnell.

Arctic sovereignty, protecting the environment, promoting social and economic development and improving and devolving northern governance comprise the cornerstones of the current federal strategy.

Portions of it were announced last summer during several high-profile trips to the North by senior government officials, including Harper.

Included in the Conservative government's promises - made on the eve of the October 2008 general election - were commitments to establish a northern development agency and improve regulatory regimes to boost investor confidence.

"In spite of much talk by (Industry Minister Jim) Prentice, there has been no major progress over two Conservative governments in moving forward the two major ... Arctic gas pipelines: the Mackenzie Valley pipeline and Alaska Highway pipeline," Bagnell said.

For nearly three years, the $16.2-billion Mackenzie Gas Project, proposed to connect gas fields in the N.W.T.'s north with southern markets, has been mired in regulatory delays.

"Prentice made these big announcements in the business sections of national newspapers (that Ottawa) was going to push for these projects and what have they actually done?" added Bagnell.

In 2007, the federal government appointed Neil McCrank, former Alberta Energy Board chair, to prepare a report of possible remedies to the N.W.T.'s regulatory labyrinth but to date it has failed to act on the recommendations.

The Alaska Highway pipeline is perhaps years away from regulatory hearings and a builder has yet to be decided.

TransCanada is currently vying with a competing bid by ConocoPhillips and BP to build the 2,744 km pipeline through Alaska, the Yukon and into B.C.

In stark contrast to Bagnell's appraisal of Ottawa's action in the North, Premier Dennis Fentie praised the federal government Monday on the heels of its weekend announcement.

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government is the first federal government to proceed with a framed, focused northern strategy since (former Conservative prime minister John) Diefenbaker," Fentie when asked what was new.

"It's been a long time coming for a government to define a plan and shape for northern Canada."

Fentie described the federal government's pledge to improve and devolve northern governance as encouraging.

"Our input is critical to development of this strategy ... (and) will show clearly as we help develop this strategy that northerners are primary beneficiaries of development," he added.

The government's Northern Strategy adds up to billions in spending. Calls to Indian and Northern Affairs to determine how much money and which initiatives were earmarked for the Yukon were not returned as of press time this afternoon.