With the purchase of up to eight seasonal ice-breaking ships, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has broken a promise to the North, says the territory's MP.

Larry Bagnell, who's also the Liberal critic for Northern Affairs, said earlier this week he's disappointed with the Conservative government's announcement of the purchase of up to eight Class 5 Arctic Patrol Ships.

'Well, the problem is they are not Arctic ships for a lot of the year,' said Bagnell. 'It's not what was promised.

'The prime minister promised three icebreakers that can patrol year-round,' Bagnell recalled.

'It was a broken promise the only promise he made to the North.'

Bagnell said while he doesn't disagree with the purchase of more naval vessels, he would have liked to have seen ships with more than a metre-thick steel in them that would do more to protect the sovereignty of the North.

He said the current Class 6 icebreakers, which have thicker hulls, are capable of patrolling spots such as the Northwest Passage year-round but are aging and in desperate need of replacement.

'There will be a huge cost to replace them. Where's the money going to come from?' asked Bagnell.

The Yukon MP said he was pleased to hear of an announcement of a deep water port in the High Arctic but cautioned he'd like to see it in a place where it can be used for civilian as well as military purposes.

'It should have as many civilian and military uses as possible and it should protect the northwest passage.'

Bagnell said he'd also like to see a commitment by the Harper government to invest in fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft to protect people living and working in the North, and the country's sovereignty.

'There's never been any permanently stationed North of 60.'

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Monday his government will buy up to eight Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships for an estimated $3.1 billion.

The prime minister announced an addtional $4.3 billion to fund operations and maintenance costs for the ships for their estimated 25-year lifespan.

'Canada has a choice when it comes to defending our sovereignty over the Arctic. We either use it or lose it. And make no mistake: this government intends to use it,' Harper announced in Esquimalt, B.C.

'More and more, as global commerce routes chart a path to Canada's North and as the oil, gas and minerals of this frontier become more valuable, northern resource development will grow ever more critical to our country.'

Bagnell said he'd like to see Harper commit to sovereignty and resource development with more significant contributions to the North.

He said he'd like to see Canada engage in more negotiations with foreign governments over disputed regions, such as Hans Island, as well as protect the integrity of Canadian border regions in the Beaufort Sea.

Northern research stations would also be a valuable addition to the North.

'We need to study the effects of that. We need to research the adaptations to those effects; why not have a centre to do that?

'There could be research stations in a number of regions in the North,' he said.