MPs vote unanimously to condemn Air Canada's multi-million dollar bonuses to execs

MPs across all party lines voted unanimously on Thursday to condemn Air Canada for giving out a multi-million dollar bonus package to its executives, while at the same time begging the government for more money.

Furthermore, the airline has, in the past year, closed stations at regional airports, discontinued routes and laid thousands off in the process. Some 16,000 were later hired back, but that still left a net total of 25,000 more jobless from Air Canada layoffs.

Also at issue is Air Canada's purportedly lousy record on customer service, especially in terms of taking care of customers who have had to alter postpone or cancel travel plans due to the pandemic. In the process, the airline has repeatedly at least threatened to hike fares for already cash-strapped customers.

The airline would certainly have gone bankrupt if not for previous government assistance, and now it's claiming it needs another round of taxpayer dollars to stay afloat, According to Global News.

The Parliamentary motion put forward by MP Xavier Barsalou-Duval (Bloc) is "that this House condemn the decision of senior management of Air Canada to pay themselves $20 million in executive bonuses when they’re received $6 billion in public assistance."

Part of the terms of the bailout agreement for Air Canada was that they limit executive bonuses, and restrict cash-flow negative actions like dividends and buybacks of shares.