Topic: Emergency Planning

Mr. Rick Norlock (Northumberland-Quinte West, CPC): Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that the Conservative government has always made the safety and security of our communities and families a top priority. In those unfortunate and stressful times when an emergency strikes, Canadians expect a rapid and effective response. Dithering is not an option. Key decisions need to be made by the appropriate people and they need to be made quickly.

Could the Minister of Public Safety tell the House what the government has done to formalize emergency planning so that Canadians are safe in the event of an emergency?

Hon. Vic Toews (Minister of Public Safety, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his support and hard work on this very important file.

Canadians expect the federal government's response to an emergency to be seamless and that key decisions be made quickly and effectively when disaster strikes.

That is why today this Conservative government has released a federal emergency response plan. This plan provides an integrated response for emergency management. Furthermore, this plan also takes the important step of coordinating responses across levels of government and private organizations.

Canadians can be assured that we are taking care of their safety.