Mr. Speaker, here is a whale of a tale. A coast guard ship was called off search and rescue standby, stripped of its helicopter pad to make room for a dance floor, and dispatched on a party cruise for Correctional Service Canada. The party was dubbed a special project, given its own special assignment code and cost close to $7,000 for such essentials as liquor and lobster tails.
During the cruise a fatality occurred in the waters off Newfoundland. Why were senior CSC officials tripping the light fantastic on the deck of a lifesaving vessel at the expense of taxpayers while potentially putting people's lives at risk?