Tories have expanded self regulation to airline safety

Nervous about eating meat? Well get more nervous about flying too.

Apparently the Tories have decided to apply their self regulation mantra to airline safety also.

SMS (Safety Management Systems), the shorthand Transport Canada uses to describe its new approach, makes the aviation industry responsible for implementing systems designed to ensure safe air travel in Canada. Under the concept, the federal department will do fewer direct safety audits of air carriers, instead keeping watch over safety checks done by the airlines themselves.

In a spring report, federal Auditor General Sheila Fraser examined Transport Canada's march toward fully implementing its air safety management system. The report uses the following example to define the safety management system:

"For example, instead of conducting an inspection to assess whether the tires in the aircraft landing gear are sufficiently inflated, Transport Canada will assess whether a company has the systems in place to ensure that the tires are inflated, following up if necessary.

Supposedly the changes have just started to the Tories five year plan.

According to the auditor general, the entire airline industry is expected to have safety management systems in place between 2011 and 2013. "Until then, Transport Canada has the task of managing the transition, while continuing its oversight responsibilities," the auditor general's report says.

Transport Canada will still conduct its own inspections under SMS, but in addition, it will now monitor the industry's safety systems, which are much better than they used to be, said Merlin Preuss a Transport spokesperson.

“Better than they used to be?”

Do you notice that the reassurances from the people in charge of these new safety systems always leave more doubt.

Well how bad were they before Merlin and have you at all noticed the cut backs that the airlines have been doing lately to remain profitable. 

Did you notice that one airline has already done away with with life jackets?

I'm starting to feel like Yossarian in Catch 22 with Harper playing the role of Milo Minderbinder.

References the CBC here.