Canada's NDP

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January 23rd, 2020

Liberals Must Put the Needs of Canadians Ahead of Big Airline Companies

OTTAWA – NDP Transport Critic Niki Ashton (Churchill – Keewatinook Aski) is urging the Minister of Transport to stand up for Canadian passengers instead of bowing to the demands of powerful airline companies’ appeal to many of the provisions within the Passenger Bill of Rights. Instead of properly defending the rights of Canadian passengers and upholding the Passengers' Bill of Rights, the federal Liberals deferred the airlines' case to the courts.

“We should be improving the bill instead of allowing powerful airline companies to further undermine the rights of Canadian passengers," said Ashton. “The recent case of the Swoop flight from Cancún to Hamilton, was another example of how the Passenger Bill of Rights does too little to protect Canadian passengers. The government must respond more strongly to this appeal and defend the rights of Canadian travelers.”

The airlines’ appeal began in the summer of 2019 and was followed by a motion to suspend some of the Passengers Bill of Rights’ provisions in December. After last week’s weak response from the Liberals, the NDP is calling on them to take the threat to passengers’ rights seriously and act accordingly.

“The federal Liberals have the responsibility to stand up for the rights of Canadians and against these big airline companies,” said Ashton. “Deferring the airlines’ appeal to the courts without showing the will to fight for Canadians is the wrong way to go. Canadians deserve better.”