Mr. Speaker, Vancouver International Airport is a busy place with over 1,000 aircraft movements a day, the majority of which are large commercial aircraft whose flight path takes them over the mud flats on the Straits of Georgia.
Both the coast guard and the airport disaster plan call for the availability of two hovercraft to provide continuous, round the clock emergency services on the water.
We are now told that the replacement for the aging, soon to be retired back up hovercraft is unfit for service in extreme weather, undermining continuity of service.
Why does the government not believe that the over 16 million passengers who will use the Vancouver airport this year are not entitled to round the clock emergency services?