Mr. Speaker, Canada's search and rescue response time is one of the worst in the world.
The government's lack of funding is to blame. Response time between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. is 30 minutes, but if a vessel is in trouble outside of banker's hours, it must wait up to two hours before search and rescue is off the ground. Seconds equal lives.
Clearly the government has again confused the sprawling oceans with the Ottawa River.
Why does the Minister of National Defence refuse to address this issue and describe the substandard service as “optimal and effective”?