Originally Posted by
Fiordland
The Union is out of line here. Saying the federal government has done nothing when it is been covering the majority of WestJet labour cost for the last 8 months and will likely do it for another 6-12 months. He should be thankful for what the tax payers have been doing. Once he acknowledges the assistance if he has other ideas that that reasonable. Saying the government (and therefore the tax payers have done nothing shows a lack of judgment).
The government has provided additional assistance to the airlines by allowing/encouraging the airlines to keep passengers money after the airlines cancel the flights. This is effectively sanctioning a large number of involuntary, unsecured interest free loans from the travelling (OK, locked down) public to the airlines. This is different to practice in most other developed nations. I don't know what the value of that is but it's got to be in the $millions.