Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to be in the House speaking for the people of Calgary Midnapore.
On May 14, I asked the following question of the Minister of Transport:
Madam Speaker, the U.K. has announced its restart plan for international travel, using the traffic light system, but here in Canada we are still stuck under the Liberals' third wave—
We are still stuck in the third wave.
—and the hotel quarantine program—
We are still stuck in the hotel quarantine program.
—with no end in sight. It is not just like flipping a light off and on: Both airports and airlines will need time to get things up and running again.
When will the government do the right thing, provide some hope for Canadians and come up with a comprehensive restart strategy for air travel?
It is almost a month later. Today when I recognized I would be giving the adjournment speech regarding this question that has yet to be answered, and we have yet to see a plan provided to the airline sector, I wondered why I was doing this yet again and why I had to ask for this once again. Then I saw the news that Ed Sims, the incredible CEO of WestJet, has announced his retirement at the end of the year. I thought of what a wonderful individual and leader he is, and how he has led the industry and his company with such grace and respect. Then I thought about all of the pilots who have written to me in the last year, all of the flight attendants who have congratulated me for standing up for them, and all of the mechanics and Nav Canada employees who watched the executives receive $7 million in bonuses this week, yet were laid off.
They are the reason I am here today demanding another answer from the Minister of Transport. It is a month later and we still do not have a plan. There is no hope. It was announced today that there is no end in sight to the hotel quarantine program even though it is unsafe and unscientific. One week after I asked this question, the minister could not give Canada a date as to when travel restrictions would end.
Canadians have done their fair part. Airline workers have done their fair part. Everyone has followed the guidelines and lined up for their first vaccines, but the terrible procurement strategy and distribution of the vaccines have in fact led to this third wave. We are all awaiting our second vaccination. I truly hope we can avoid a fourth wave with the Delta variant.
Frankly, beyond the question that I asked the minister, the government owes it to Canada to answer a question. When do we get our lives back? When do we get to go to Disneyland? When do we get to see our loved ones wherever they are? We have not been given that hope and assurance at this time. This goes well beyond the airline sector. It goes to Canadians. The problems were terrible procurement and distribution of vaccines. The most egregious issue is not having a plan. That includes a plan for the airline sector, for travel and for Canadians who absolutely deserve one.
I am calling on the minister again today to answer the question that I first asked on May 14: When will the government do the right thing, provide some hope for Canadians and come up with a comprehensive restart strategy for air travel?