MPs on the Transport Committee unanimously passed a motion on Monday asking for Transport Minister Omar Alghabra to testify before them to address airport delays and flight cancellations.
“It’s our view that the minister should address the critical issues facing our airports so that Canadians can understand that the government is doing anything to fix the mess and not simply waiting out the height of peak travel season in an effort to further abdicate their responsibility,” said Conservative MP and transport critic Melissa Lantsman during a very brief remote committee meeting.
Along with problems at airports, the motion also calls on Alghabra to address the ArriveCAN system and the reimposition of measures on travellers.
ArriveCAN is not under Alghabra’s purview; rather, it’s managed by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
Lantsman did not elaborate on the reimposition of measures on travellers, but the travel mandate barring unvaccinated Canadians from taking a plane within Canada was suspended on June 20 but not completely lifted. The government said the mandate could be brought back depending on circumstances.
“We had committee testimony warning us the passenger traffic would surge this summer, we saw huge airport lineups at the beginning of April, and I think by this point it’s unacceptable for the government to be taken by surprise or continue to tell Canadians that they’re working on it,” said Lantsman.
The motion adopted by the committee calls on Alghabra to appear no later than Aug. 19.
