MP wants Cannon to explain airport security lapse

by Romeo St. Martin

[PoliticsWatch updated 5:10 p.m., January 31, 2007]

Travellers brave long line ups at Pearson Airport.

OTTAWA  — NDP MP Peter Julian wants Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon to appear before a Commons committee to explain how 250,000 passengers weren't properly screened at Toronto's Pearson International Airport last fall.  

Julian will have his motion calling for Cannon to appear debated at the next meeting of the Commons transport committee. 

In December, CBC News reported that it learned of a Transport Canada investigation that baggage at Pearson International Airport in Toronto was not properly screened over a four-day period in October. 

A work-to-rule campaign by screeners, who worked for the security firm Garda, created long lines for passengers. Screeners said in letters to Transport Canada that Garda managers took control and allowed 250,000 passengers to rush through security with minimal screening. 

The Transport Canada report said that as a result no bags were searched and screening x-rays were ignored at Pearson on October 11. 

"It's not clear at this point how many people went through without being screened," Julian said in an interview with PoliticsWatch. 

"Obviously it's a real issue when you have a break down in security systems." 

Julian said he wants Cannon to explain what happened and whether the issues associated with it have been rectified. 

The NDP MP also said he has questions for Cannon about why the security company had its contract renewed just weeks after the incident. 

Canada's Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) exercised its option to extend Garda's security contracts at Pearson and 27 airports across the country on November 6.  

The contract extension totalled $220 million over a two-year period from April 1, 2007 until March 31, 2009, according to Garda's Web site. 

"Those two issues taking place just a few weeks within each other are areas this committee should be looking at, so I'll be bringing it forward next week." 

Julian also said the committee should also deal with the "broader issues" surrounding recent problems at CATSA. 

Earlier this month, CATSA's chair of the board of directors, retired general Maurice Baril, resigned.

Cannon told reporters last week that Baril announced his intentions to leave "a few days after" the two men met to discuss the findings of a special examination report of CATSA by the auditor general. 

The auditor general's report found that CATSA could not assure its airport screening procedures can be conducted "economically, efficiently, effectively, and in the public interest."

Cannon said he was "concerned about the content" of the auditor general's report. 
 
The minister has also requested CATSA's board create an action plan to correct the auditor general's findings. 

Cannon also hinted that further changed can be expected at CATSA's board of directors. He has asked the 11 board members to "clarify their intentions" about their duties as board members. 

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