Hundreds of delegates are in St. John’s this week as government pleads to businesses in the defence sector to spend in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Maritime and Arctic Security and Safety conference, or MASS, kicked off yesterday with a speech from Premier Tony Wakeham, telling investors: ” Newfoundland and Labrador is built for defence”

Victoria Belbin, the CEO of the Atlantic Canada Aerospace and Defence Association, says governments and businesses need to consider our sovereignty going forward.

“It’s important for our country to look at our own sovereignty,” she told reporters.

“This is a topic that’s now at the kitchen table. People are talking about our national security and our sovereignty, so that investment, whether it be our eyes in the north, surveillance, building new ships or submarines, this is all something about our national framework coming together to ensure that we are playing on the world stage.”