Executive Council
May 2, 2013
Premier Says Federal Government’s Search and Rescue Plan Falls Short
The Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, today expressed disappointment following the Federal Government’s announcement of initiatives touted to improve the search and rescue system in Canada.“The measures announced by Minister MacKay today fall short of addressing the very serious concerns my government has about the readiness of the air and marine search and rescue system,” said Premier Dunderdale. “There are very clear recommendations outlined in the federal Auditor General’s report, recommendations that can be acted upon immediately. I continue to call on the Federal Government to immediately act to address these recommendations and provide us with a clear timeline of when we can expect these recommendations to be completed.”
The Premier noted that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has repeatedly raised concerns regarding search and rescue services with the Federal Government and is again urging them to start the necessary actions required to change the hours of operation for search and rescue to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador has access to a reliable system.
“These are concerns that must be addressed and we want the Federal Government to put a detailed action plan in place,” added Premier Dunderdale. “The federal Auditor General has clearly identified areas of deficiencies and my government is once again calling on the Federal Government to act immediately to restore Newfoundlanders and Labradorians’ confidence in our national search and rescue system. This is too important to delay.”
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Media contacts:| Jennifer Tulk Director of Communications Office of the Premier 709-729-3960 jennifertulk@gov.nl.ca |
Tracey Boland Press Secretary Office of the Premier 709-729-4304, 697-3128 traceyboland@gov.nl.ca |