Madam Speaker, last week Canadians who fly in and out of Victoria harbour learned that the government, through its lack of interest in safety, is putting their lives at risk. A report by QualaTech-Aero Consulting showed that despite 10 years of promises, Transport Canada has not taken any safety planning actions.
Victoria is the third busiest float plane base in the world. Transport Canada is the owner and operator, as well as the regulator. Despite this, the harbour airport does not even meet Transport Canada regulations. But get this: Without any safety plan in place, the minister has given the green light to the development of a mega-marina which will create major hazards to sailboat masts.
Over and over again the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities has learned how lax the government is when it comes to aviation safety. When will the minister take up his responsibility and protect Canadians who fly?