Aviation Industry

During Question Period on the aviation industry, the NDP asked the Prime Minister to stop a plan it described as selling off major public airports such as Vancouver’s, saying the government’s budget allocates $37.6 million toward that and that privatization would hurt affordability, safety, and workers’ rights at an airport it called the best in North America. The Liberals replied that the government is focused on modernizing airports, which it said would mean more investment, more services, and more jobs, as well as new ways to share investments with regional airports across the country.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text (opens in a new tab)

2 statements

Jenny Kwan, Vancouver East

NDP

Linked statement

“The government is spending 37.6 million dollars to help sell off major public airports like Vancouver. Selling them hurts affordability, safety, and workers. Vancouver's airport is already rated the best in North America. I want the Prime Minister to stop this plan and keep airports public.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister talks about building a stronger, more solvent Canada, but instead of protecting vital public services such as YVR and other major airports, he wants to sell them to private interests, putting affordability, safety and workers’ rights at risk. Budget 2026 allocates $37.6 million to the privatization process. YVR has held the title of best airport in North America for 12 consecutive years. Why is the Prime Minister letting corporate interests be the masters of our own destiny, and will he immediately reverse course and keep our public airports in public hands?

Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Liberal
“We are working to update our airports. This will bring more money, more services, and more jobs to them. It also means finding new ways to share investments with regional airports across the country.”
  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 46 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on modernizing the airports. What that means is more investments in those airports. What that means is more service in those airports. That means more jobs in those airports. It also means looking at how things are done now and how they can be done differently in terms of sharing that investment with the regional networks to build up Canada from coast to coast to coast.

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