Conservatives playing with people’s lives

Joyce Murray, member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra, came out against the shuttering of the Kitsilano Search and Rescue Station saying the Conservative government cost-saving measure will have “a significantly detrimental effect on the marine community in the busiest port in Canada.” Murray said Search and Rescue service to the Port of Metro Vancouver will now be provided by a station that is 17 nautical miles away from the Kitsilano station. She said the move reveals government’s “lack of practical and local knowledge of the marine safety services that are required in BC’s Lower Mainland. These cuts will very likely result in the preventable loss of life from marine accidents and emergencies.” Liberal Fisheries and Oceans critic Lawrence MacAulay said “What this all amounts to is a Conservative government showing a dangerous disregard for the people of coastal communities, their safety and their way of life.” Coast guard stations on the west coast of Vancouver Island are also on the Conservative chopping block.