Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions from residents of Newfoundland and Labrador who are petitioning the government to reverse the closure of the marine search and rescue centre in St. John's.
The petitioners point out that this decision takes away a very important search and rescue function where the highest reports of distress incidents occur in Canada, responding to an average of 500 incidents a year, saving the lives of 600 people in distress. They note that the rescue centre is responsible for 900,000 square kilometres of ocean and some nearly 29,000 kilometres of coastline. The staff have a unique knowledge of that area of ocean coastline and of the people who work upon it. They ask that the decision—