Mr. Speaker, while the Department of Fisheries and Oceans rack up expenditures of $42 million on travel and hospitality, services to fishermen are being eroded.
Recently it took the search and rescue chopper more than two hours to get off the ground when a distress call was received from the fishing boat, Melina & Keith II , which had overturned and four lives were lost.
Could the minister tell us where his priorities lie: searching for fishermen in distress or for employees who have gone AWOL?