Transport Committee on June 17th, 2008

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Bell.

[Don Bell, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

I just have a comment. Along with Mr. Watson, about a year and a half ago I had an experience where I spent three hours on the tarmac at Ottawa airport. We were diverted from Toronto. That was after the Air France plane ran off the runway. We ended up here. The problem in that case was that there were not enough customs people to handle the flights that had been diverted. We sat for three hours, and it was hot, and basically it was very frustrating to be within 100 or 200 feet of an airport where we quite often come in and out without any problem and to be stuck.

One of the problems was that there was no support from the airline, from Air Canada, in terms of those who had to stay overnight because it was late. I had to find accommodation here, believe it or not. My usual accommodation was not available. I got no compensation for that. Just a letter of apology from the airline was all that ultimately happened. Obviously, I was one of several hundred people on that flight.

I am concerned that we do something. I appreciate Mr. Jean saying that the existing set of regulations appears to be...I don't think he used the word “mishmash”, but he was saying that they come from a variety of areas and they are difficult to collate. I think that is important to do, but it is important as well that we look at the issue and fully understand it.

Mr. Watson said he didn't understand it. He expressed his lack of understanding of it when asked by other passengers, and I would have to admit I'm in the same position. I think it is important for us to know what they are, but if there are these little stories that anecdotally come together, perhaps it is something that's worthwhile as a follow-up to Mr. Byrne's motion, which was passed, that we in fact do assess it and do study it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

To be clear, as I said from the beginning, we were going to support the motion, and we're prepared to support it because we feel the committee is working with us.

The issue is that it is existing legislation. What I am hopeful of is that we will get an answer from the department and from the minister's office on how they're going to approach this and then deal with what the legislation lacks.

There is a sensitive balance here, and this government wants to make sure it does that properly. We have time to do so. We have time to organize over the summer, and the department has time to get back to us and get us a response. So if it's the will of the committee to move forward, let's move forward in a unanimous fashion and deal with it at the end of the day. Let's face it, we're all here to support and recognize who the most important people are here—Canadian consumers. Everybody consumes, and if indeed we find a lack in the current legislation, once we find out what it is and the clear path of what consumers' rights are, let's go forward.

Mr. Byrne, from my study, the EU does not include that. I don't know about a press release on baggage, etc., but the website itself is very clear, as far as I know. But once we find out we can deal with it. Maybe we can look at other jurisdictions. We know the U.S. doesn't have anything. They have an 11-point plan, or at least it has been proposed by a lady in the U.S. that they deal with an 11-point plan on delayed flights. Maybe we can even look at that, but until we have an opportunity to know what we have in this country and to know exactly how consumers are protected through different types of legislation, we're really debating something that is a moot point.

In the spirit of cooperation, let's move forward. Let's vote on this and see if it is unanimous or not. But we want to protect consumers, from this government's perspective.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean, you mentioned in your comments that the department is preparing to publish the passenger rights Canadians now have. Could I ask the department, through a letter, to send me, say by mid-August, that compilation so I can share it with members of the committee?

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

That would be helpful, certainly, but to be clear, what the department is doing is assembling all the current rights and organizing a communication plan to make sure.... For instance, one of my recommendations, which seemed to be welcome, was to have a 10-point plan and have stickers at every boarding gate, so consumers know what they can do and access a website to do so, absolutely.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

But just for our sakes, as Mr. Watson and others have said, we'd like to actually understand what we have now. It would enhance the discussion.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Absolutely, yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

So I will do that.

Ms. Hall Findlay.

[Martha Hall Findlay, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

You may have actually just addressed what I was wondering, which may have arisen from a lack of experience with process. Monsieur Laframboise had a valid concern. Based on this motion alone, if it's just the committee doing the work, we could be here until next year. There is a concern about timing.

I think I also heard from Mr. Masse a concern about it being entirely in the government's hands. Is there a value? Mr. Chairman, you might have addressed it, in a letter to you or from you. But it might make sense to have something more formal from the committee asking the department to start conducting this more thoroughly over the course of the summer. It might be even more than just an assembling of the legislation. We might start looking at what to do next.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Laframboise was just out of the room. Maybe you could repeat that, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

I was suggesting that as the chair I would write the department and ask them to actually....

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Advise?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Well, I think even define what our current travellers' rights are, so that at least we have a starting point. I think that would build on Mr. Masse's motion, in the sense that it could be used to protect the air travel of consumers. Once we know what our rights are now, we can plug in the shortcomings that we hear from people.

So if I have the will of the committee, I will write that letter. I'll say that they have to respond with the list by mid-August, and then I'll share that with the committee members. Reasonable?

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

I'm wondering if it would also be constructive to write to the CTA and ask for proposed or contemplated—

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Sure. I think we want to get as much information as possible.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Exactly. The CTA deals with complaints, and maybe they would have some ideas on what proposed legislation—

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

What we have and what might work.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Yes. Does that sound reasonable?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Is this okay with the committee?

Seeing no more debate at the table, I will call the question on the motion by Mr. Masse:

That the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, after the passage in the House of Commons of a motion calling for an airline passenger bill of rights, engage in a study of present legislation and regulation that could possibly be used to protect air travel consumers and report the study to the House of Commons.

(Motion agreed to)

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

Mr. Jean.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, I have new business. It's a motion. We understand that we haven't given the 48 hours, but I'd like to give notice of this motion in relation to our next meeting. If you want me to introduce it now, I'd be prepared to do so. It deals with consumers' rights.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

The regular order or fashion is to submit the notice of motion in 48 hours, then present it to the committee. Now that we have it, at least we're aware that it's coming.

[Brian Jean, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Mr. Chair, I agree, but....

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

It would be at the will of the committee.