Evidence of meeting #69 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cbsa.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:10 p.m.
Conservative
4:10 p.m.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Now it is my turn to welcome you this afternoon and to thank you for coming to our committee.
My first question goes to John Stroud.
We understand the role of customs, of course, but could you tell us about the mandate of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, and about how you become involved? Travellers go through customs, but you talked about the things people have in their luggage. Could you please clarify your mandate for us, as it relates to customs, and to travellers?
4:10 p.m.
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
In terms of customs, CATSA doesn't have a role. CATSA is responsible for passengers who are departing. Our role is very prescribed. Transport Canada is our regulator, and we're responsible for aviation security.
Essentially, Transport prepares a list of prohibited items that are not permitted on the plane. Our job is to detect them. We do that by screening passengers and their baggage, whether it's carry-on or checked luggage.
We also have a screening program for airport workers. The people who work at the airport who go from the public side to the secure side have to go through certain checkpoints, and we screen them as well. If we find a prohibited item, then we intercept it. That is essentially our mandate.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Okay. Thank you.
Does that mean that, while your officers are doing that checking, if they find electronic devices, such as iPads or cellphones, that are not prohibited, not unadvisable to have, on board, they do not touch them? Do they leave those devices to the people from customs?
4:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
We have to inspect the devices. We ask that the device be able to be powered on. That's what we want to verify, and that's a check to make sure that it's.... If it's a phone, and you can turn it on, you verify that it's a phone.
Our concern is not whether there is data on it. Our concern is whether there is a threat item hidden in the phone. We're looking for, say, explosives.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
In the cases when, as you say, you find a threat in one of those electronic devices, what do you do right away, compared to the customs officers, who are also at the airport at the same time as you? What contact do you have with the Canada Border Services Agency?
4:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
We don't have contact with CBSA. We're worried about outgoing passengers. CBSA is responsible for incoming passengers.
If we find a phone with a threat item, then we intercept it to make sure that it doesn't get on the plane. That's our responsibility.
4:15 p.m.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Thank you.
I would like to ask Mr. Bolduc a very quick question, given that his office is in the province of Quebec, I believe.
You say that you are going to look for information in people's passports. This summer, we saw a massive influx of migrants arriving at the border and I assume that some of those people had no passport. How did you go about ensuring the safety of Canadians and of those people arriving in the country?
4:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Programs Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
Thank you for the question.
Although I do not have the statistics with me, I can tell you that the great majority of those who arrived—and are still arriving, unfortunately—had a piece of identification or a document. When people cross between two points of entry, as we have been able to see on many occasions in the news, they are intercepted by the RCMP. They do a preliminary background check to make sure that the people do not pose a threat. They are then taken to our point of entry, where we can continue the checking, which of course includes taking fingerprints, so that we can determine whether there is anything else in their background.
I should tell you that the checking has multiple stages. Canadians can be assured that, once we release people, they do not pose a threat. If we consider that there is a threat to security, if we are not able to identify the people in front of us, or if we believe that, for whatever reason, those people will not show up for further procedures, we always have the option of detaining them.
Basically, those are the steps we follow.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Zimmer
Thank you MP Dubourg.
We are returning to MP Blaney, for another five minutes.
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
My first question would be for Mr. Mundie.
With the implementation of the entry/exit initiative, is there any change in your operation? Will it have any impact?
4:15 p.m.
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
I'm sorry, was the question for me?
4:15 p.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Sorry, I called you Mr. Mundie. You're Mr. Stroud. I'm sorry. I should wear glasses now.
4:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
I'm sorry, could you repeat the question?
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
My question is on the entry/exit initiative. It has zero impact on you.
4:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Corporate Services and Corporate Secretary, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
That's correct.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Let me go back to the officials from the Canada Border Services Agency.
Basically, you already have that information. However, when the entry/exit initiative comes into effect, will it change the protocols that already exist with various countries?
4:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Programs Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
In terms of the information sharing protocol with the Americans, the update is necessary in order to include Canadians, if the bill gets royal assent. Canadians are not included in the protocol at the moment.
That will change what we do. Currently, the agency does not gather information on exits from Canada. Once the bill has received royal assent, the agency will have the authority to gather information on people leaving Canada.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Do you not already do that for some categories of people leaving Canada?
4:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Programs Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
We do at the land borders, but not at airports.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Okay.
At the moment, what kinds of people do you collect information on when they leave at a land border?
4:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Programs Branch, Canada Border Services Agency
Permanent residents and foreign nationals.
4:20 p.m.
Conservative
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Right. That's what you told me.
So you are going to expand your pool, but the memoranda will be of the same type that you already have in terms of transferring information between governments in Canada or with foreign agencies, if I may use the term.