QUESTION PERIOD — Transport
Canadian Transportation Agency
February 12, 2026
Government leader, recent testimony from Transport Canada before the Ontario Superior Court revealed that the Canada Transportation Agency processes, on average, only one passenger complaint per day, despite having a backlog of over 93,000 cases. Canadians are waiting more than a year for their complaints to even enter the resolution process.
Leader, how can the government justify a passenger protection regime where travellers wait years for resolution while the backlog continues to grow?
I think I answered that question in part with Senator Loffreda’s question earlier today.
The government is putting pressure on airlines to better understand the new regulation so that it will reduce complaints concerning how they manage the complaints that they have. We understand there is a huge backlog, but the government is working very hard with airlines to make sure that, in the future, there will be a better understanding of the actual regulations.
Every once in a while, Senator Loffreda and I are on the same page.
Many of these cases, senator, involve modest sums, yet they are tied up in a system described as labour intensive and inefficient. I’m hearing that about many other agencies and departments as well. It is very inefficient. Canadians deserve more from their government. This is not good stewardship of taxpayers’ money.
At what point will your government accept that this system is failing Canadians?
The system has been changed to help Canadians with claims concerning their rights when they use aircraft, when they’re onboard the aircraft and they experience mismanagement of their meals, luggage or have flight delays. The government is committed to making the system better, and I think that a better understanding by airlines of the new rules should help.
