Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you and to weigh in on this important issue.
I am here on behalf of the Union of Canadian Transportation Employees, which represents more than 3,500 Canadian Coast Guard workers. These are the men and women who crew our ships, launch in all weather to save lives, monitor marine traffic on all three coasts, protect our environment, staff our rescue coordination centres and keep our historic lighthouses lit. They are proud of their roles, proud of their civilian service and proud of the unique contribution made by the Canadian Coast Guard to Canada's security and safety.
We do not oppose the moving of responsibilities of the Coast Guard to National Defence. We do, however, want to raise the key issues and concerns that matter most to our members.
I would like to begin with the Coast Guard's legacy and identity. The Coast Guard has never been on the sidelines of Canada's defence. During the Second World War, lighthouse keepers along the Atlantic and Pacific served as Canada's first line of defence, literally keeping the lights on as our eyes on the coasts. This history continues today. The Coast Guard has quietly but steadfastly supported Fisheries and Oceans, Transport Canada and National Defence when it comes to protecting Canada's waterways. It has done so with skill, professionalism and dedication, but often with inadequate tools and declining infrastructure. Many of our historic lighthouses, for example, have fallen into disarray through neglect and a lack of proper funding. If this transfer proceeds—we know it has—we hope it will not mean further erosion, but rather renewed investment in these critical assets that are part of Canada's maritime backbone.
The first and perhaps greatest concern we must raise is chronic underfunding. For decades, the Coast Guard has been stretched far too thin, with too few vessels, too little modern equipment and too few trained hands to crew them. Recruitment and retention are serious problems, especially for our seafarers and search and rescue technicians.