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    • Opposition MPs request 'urgent' meeting to discuss Via Rail and airline holiday travel issues

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    Opposition MPs have teamed up to call for an "urgent" meeting of the House of Commons' Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Committee to discuss the treatment of Via Rail and airline passengers this holiday season, and to hear directly from the minister responsible.

    "Hundreds of Canadians were stranded over the holidays due to extreme weather and poor customer care on the part of Canadian airlines and VIA Rail. These difficulties add to the troubling treatment of air passengers during the pandemic," reads the letter, sent to committee chair and Liberal MP Peter Schiefke. "Canadians deserve timely answers and accountability."

    In addition to discussing Canadian air and rail passengers' experiences over the last month—during which numerous travellers were stranded and left scrambling amid subpar communication— the opposition parties want the committee chair to "immediately" make plans to have Transport Minister Omar Alghabra appear and field questions for at least two hours.

    "It's not enough for the Liberal Minister to tweet that the situation was unacceptable," NDP transport critic and committee member Taylor Bachrach said in a statement. "He's the minister charged with overseeing Canada's transportation system and has specific powers under legislation. If anyone can do something to protect passengers, it's him. Canadians deserve to know what steps he took during the crisis and plans to take in the future to protect passengers."

    five NDP and Conservative members, meets the threshold for a meeting to be called in short order, at the request of at least four members. According to House rules, a meeting must be held within five calendar days to consider this request, with 48-hours notice to members.

    On Tuesday, Schiefke had announced plans to call a meeting to hear from Sunwing and Via Rail about the "unacceptable delays and cancellations seen over the holiday season," but did not give a timeline for calling this hearing. Hundreds were stranded in Mexico after Sunwing cancelled flights, while numerous train travellers had their trips cancelled or considerably delayed. 

    Now, opposition MPs want to expedite the process and potentially expand their work to hear from the CEOs of major airlines beyond Sunwing, as well as the airports who are now dealing with thousands of pieces of lost luggage.

    Conservative transport critic and committee vice-chair Mark Strahl told Â鶹´«Ã½ that there's a desire among opposition MPs to get answers about the series of failures seen this holiday season as soon as possible rather than waiting until the end of the month when the House is scheduled to reconvene.

    "We understand that, as Chair, you already intend to convene a committee meeting to discuss last month's travel disruptions. This letter indicates our desire to hold such a meeting as soon as practicably possible and for it to include an appearance by the minister for the purpose of answering committee members' questions," reads the letter.

    With files from Â鶹´«Ã½ Channel's Senior Political Correspondent Mike Le Couteur

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