Let me start by saying that Transport Canada, on a major portion of the question you just asked, is headed in the right direction.
IATA has put together security management systems. My colleague here has talked about safety management systems. Transport Canada has been very supportive of taking some of those same concepts and putting them into security, because, quite frankly, there are large portions of the industry that need to have a security culture embedded from the ramp to the boardroom. Some companies do it well and some companies don't, but we think there needs to be a baseline of expectations on how companies internally handle security incidents.
Our hat is off to Transport Canada on being visionary and pushing forward on that, because security management systems, I think, are an alien concept to large segments of regulatory leaders right now.
You also asked me how Canada and the United States work together based on the fact that the public wants a strong reaction; they want the threat to be over with, yet they still want to travel comfortably. Certainly we think that emphasis on outcome-based regulations needs to be part of the dialogue between the United States and Canada.
That dialogue should begin as, “Tell us what you don't want”. Okay, you don't want explosives in baggage, so don't tell us the kind of machines we have to use, don't tell us what procedures we have to use, but tell us what you want. All too often, certainly when we look at the United States, we see them discussing specific types of equipment that must be used and certain procedures that have to be taken, and the outcome in all of this is forgotten.
I mean, the outcome is no explosives on passengers, and the outcome is no explosives in checked baggage or in carry-on baggage. And let's stick with that.
My suggestion for you as government—I've never been in your shoes, though—is to push back on the prescriptive security regulations that come from down south and say, “We can get you the ends that you need, but let us determine the means”. And certainly the means are how we think security can be safer and more effective.