Mr. Speaker, as the Red River rises, the most immediate threat to Manitobans come from ice jams that cause devastating floods. Many homes have been evacuated and many more are under threat.
At a time when Manitobans desperately need strong federal assistance, the government's back seat approach is failing them.
Why is the government failing to take a leadership role in protecting the lives, homes and businesses that are under threat of being washed away? As an example, why has the government failed to deploy hovercraft, which are far more effective at breaking ice jams? They were used in Quebec. Why are they missing in action in Manitoba?