As Prime Minister Stephen Harper prepares to head North again with more spending announcements in his pocket, the federal New Democrats are saying he should stay home unless the Tories are ready to spend money on the needs of people who actually live in the North.

"The focus on military measures is distracting the government from the crucial initiatives that are needed elsewhere," said Michael Byers, an academic and Arctic expert who was recently nominated as an NDP candidate from Vancouver.

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