Question Period: House of Commons

During Question Period on September 15, 2009, NDP Transport Critic Mr. Dennis Bevington questioned the Federal Minister of Transport, Mr. John Baird, about an inquiry into Transport Canada's oversight of air safety.

Mr. Bevington first raised this issue during Question Period on April 22nd, following the April 21st Aviation Safety Round Table.

Here is the text of today's Question and Response.

(Video 1:09)

Mr. Dennis Bevington (Western Arctic, NDP): Mr. Speaker, air safety inspectors at Transport Canada are so strapped for travel costs they have had to secretly dip into a budget meant for the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.

The transport minister has said he will look into this misuse of public funds but that misses the point. Transport Canada wants out of the flight safety business and is underfunding the work of its safety inspectors. This is the real issue.

Will the minister call an inquiry into whether Transport Canada is living up to its responsibility to ensure Canadians are safe when they fly our air?

Hon. John Baird (Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, CPC): Mr. Speaker, at Transport Canada we take our obligations for the safety of the travelling public very seriously. There is an important public role for the government is this area an we take it very seriously and will continue to do so.

Just in the budget this year the Minister of Finance provided literally hundreds of millions of dollars of new resources to my portfolio to assist in ensuring that we live up to those obligations.

Safety is something that is very important in our civil aviation sector and one that we will continue to put great priority on.