Goodale appointed special adviser to Canada on Ukraine airliner crash in Iran

Goodale will support ongoing government efforts and come up with recommendations on “tools and mechanisms” needed to prevent future disasters. (File Photo: Ralph Goodale/Facebook)

OTTAWA — Former Liberal cabinet minister Ralph Goodale has been appointed a special adviser to the Trudeau government into Iran’s downing of a commercial airliner in January.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Goodale will examine the lessons learned from the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 as well as other air disasters, including Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Air India Flight 182.

Goodale will support ongoing government efforts and come up with recommendations on “tools and mechanisms” needed to prevent future disasters.

Goodale’s appointment comes as Iran missed a deadline last week to surrender the flight recorders from the jetliner, which the Iranian military shot down on Jan. 8, killing all 176 people aboard, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

Iran’s representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal promised on March 11 to transfer the black boxes to Ukraine within two weeks to assist with its investigation into the crash, but as of March 26 that had yet to occur.

Goodale, a veteran Saskatchewan MP, was Canada’s public safety minister until his defeat in last fall’s federal election and has overseen numerous other portfolios, including finance and natural resources.