Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to come back to the question of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations.
Representatives of the Canadian Transportation Agency testified before the committee and told us that the backlog was currently over 30,000 complaints that had not been processed. That situation has gone on for several years. The CTA has been unable to resolve it, it receives so many complaints. It will take years for someone's complaint to be processed. At this point, the average wait time is a year and a half to two years, and that is completely unacceptable. We get the feeling that the CTA will never resolve this situation.
On top of that, we have an air passenger protection system that mean that the burden of proof lies with consumers, although they do not have all the information and they cannot do an investigation to find out what part was defective. They do not have the competencies to evaluate the condition of an airplane and they do not know the full extent of what happens in an airport. They are therefore at a complete disadvantage when it comes to exercising their rights.
Should the rules not be simplified so we simply make sure that when passengers' flights are cancelled, they always have the option of getting a refund? Obviously, that is not always the option they prefer. On the other hand, we have to understand that the decision that was made under the mandate you gave the CTA, that it require that a reservation be provided for a new flight within 48 hours, also does not suit everyone. There are many people who can't wait 48 hours, or they would miss the wedding, the convention or the business meeting that was the reason they were flying. It is not always a viable solution. We have to consider the individual's situation. A refund should quite simply be offered automatically, if the arrangement does not suit the consumer.
Don't you agree with me about that?