Evidence of meeting #58 for Public Safety and National Security in the 41st 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.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
Our sharing wouldn't be outside of what we share today. We share only under existing agreements that permit us to do that sharing and for enforcement purposes.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
But you are anticipating, then, if this was earlier, that you could.... This is providing the opportunity to potentially share that information before the person has actually boarded a flight.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
The same as we do today.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Well, you don't do it today, because you don't have it before they board the flight.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
No, but the sharing would—
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
I'm just trying to get at what the change is here that we're trying to look at.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
Yes. The change, really, is to allow us the time to assess the risk before the people come to Canada.
We of course would like to identify the threat on foreign soil and not have them come to Canada. That would of course be the optimal situation. Even if we don't have the ability or don't get the approval to do something like that, identifying the threat while they're en route and being able to address it as soon as they land here on Canadian soil is of course one of our key objectives.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Okay.
So the advance pass information is essentially passport information, the kinds of things that would be in a passport.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
It's your biographical information.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
And in what sounds rather innocuous—the passenger name record—is actually the entire itinerary of the passenger?
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
Absolutely.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
That would include travel other than to Canada, if it's part of the same itinerary? In other words, if someone were passing through Canada en route to another country, that information would be contained in that record.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
But only if they land here.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
It's only for international flights landing in Canada.
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Right.
My understanding—we received a letter today—from discussions with the Privacy Commissioner's office is that there's a very broad range of information contained in that innocuous-sounding passenger name record. That includes everything from perhaps who paid for the ticket to the names of other people travelling with the person. The letter today raises dietary requirements, which might reveal details about religion or other personal characteristics.
How long is that PNR currently being maintained in the system, the PNR for every passenger?
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
I'd like to address two key points.
One key point that I think is worth mentioning is that we do not have access to sensitive data. If any sensitive data, such as religion, meals, and certain preferences, whether they be.... Anyway, I won't get into the details, but if any sensitive data hits our system, it's actually deleted right upon receipt. Nobody sees it. We don't have access to it. We don't have permission to have that information.
To your second point—
3:50 p.m.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC
Would that include travelling companions? You don't worry about that as sensitive information.
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
No, we don't. If you have PNRs, you have where everybody is sitting in the plane. You could know half the plane. It's public information.
The other point is that the information is retained to a maximum of three and a half years, unless, of course, that information is key to an enforcement action. With respect to depersonalization of the PNR, your name is taken off after 72 hours. At the two-year mark, anything identifying you is taken off. At three and half years, if it hasn't been accessed or used, it is further deleted.
At two years, access to that information is very, very limited and is authorized only by the deputy minister, or the head of the Canada Border Services Agency.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson
Thank you very much, Ms. McKeen.
We will come back.
We'll go to Mr. Leef, please, for seven minutes.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Ryan Leef Conservative Yukon, YT
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I guess most of these questions again will be directed to Ms. McKeen.
Looking at current-day operations and procedures to identify threats on foreign soil, there are some means and mechanisms that already occur, correct?
3:50 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
Yes.
3:50 p.m.
Conservative
Ryan Leef Conservative Yukon, YT
As you were articulating to Mr. Garrison, under the current terms and conditions and sharing agreements you have, that information, if it's identified through the procedures and means you have today, are shared in accordance with those agreements. That's not going to change at all with this—just your ability to collect that sooner and use different techniques, as it were, or different bodies of legislation. Would that be accurate?
3:55 p.m.
Manager, Travellers Unit, Advance Information and Programs, Canada Border Services Agency
It is accurate if.... Yes. It's accurate.
3:55 p.m.
Conservative
Ryan Leef Conservative Yukon, YT
If I'm an international traveller coming into Canada and then carrying on to a different destination, currently I would present myself at a point of entry. I would have to divulge my full travel itinerary if questioned by a CBSA agent at that point of entry. Is that correct?