Evidence of meeting #15 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was catsa.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Chair, Security and Facilitation Subcommittee, National Airlines Council of Canada
Evolving the products and selling new ones.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
--administration, or through...?
I'm trying to get to your argument as to why it would be more effective for the government to go back into security. Is it because of that expanding business model?
Vice-Chair, Security and Facilitation Subcommittee, National Airlines Council of Canada
We're not suggesting that the government goes back. We're just saying that is an option to be considered.
What we're looking for is the best bang for our buck. We want to find the most efficient cost-effective approach. It may be government; it may be privatized. We're not sure what that looks like. The review is to find out what the best approach is.
We're saying that today's model isn't sustainable, because the user is paying, and as we increase security costs, that is just going to go up and up. Comparatively, as we see in other models—for example, the U.S.—the current model is not sustainable in Canada.
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I've been listening to what you've been saying. Obviously the partnership chain is very important in aviation generally, but we always seem to come back to the same thing--or, if I can say it so bluntly, you come back to the same thing—and that is, ultimately, CATSA. That's what I keep hearing, anyway, that the administration might be too heavy.
In a study of CATSA and a revamp of it, I'd like to know what your opinion is. If you were in charge—I know I'm asking you to put yourself out there—what would you study about CATSA and the implementation of the strategy?
Right now, we're talking around a lot of things. We've talked about how Israel's approach is “bad people”, and how North America's approach is “bad things”. But if you're going to revamp a security methodology, which is what I would put it as, it's a very serious thing. We probably can't do that at this stage, especially because it's a culture now, I think, in essence.
What would you examine in CATSA to make efficiency improvements over the entire system? What would you change, or at least what would you study to make recommendations on change?
Chair, Security and Facilitation Subcommittee, National Airlines Council of Canada
I know that a lot of our comments have focused on CATSA, but I think the review would have to look at the screening process in totality. So it would have to involve Transport Canada and the screening philosophy and approach that's used and how that then gets delivered through CATSA, or a revised model of CATSA, or whatever it happens to be. I don't know where that would be, but I think it would be very good to look at what we are screening for, what we are trying to achieve with passengers, with their carry-on baggage, with their checked baggage, and decide whether the cargo screening even gets put on the table for that.
I think that sort of philosophical review has to happen and then drive looking at the way that CATSA is set up and organized and where the resources and the money are being invested in delivering the services, and do we need to reallocate? Can we possibly cut in some areas to bolster other areas? Are there some areas that really need enhancement and others that we can do away with completely?
We have questions, but we don't have a lot of answers about how CATSA spends their administrative money, because there's not a lot of transparency for the carriers as to what's happening within there. We see hints and glimmers, but the true facts we don't know.
So instead of just focusing on CATSA, I think we should be looking at what is the philosophy, how are we going to do that, and then how do we best allocate the resources that are available?
Conservative
Brian Jean Conservative Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB
If I can reiterate, then, what you're suggesting is that we, first of all, look at the philosophy itself behind what motivates the screening process; and secondly, look at the implementation. Then we try to refine it through better management processes and some more transparency to those people who are already secured to look at that transparency in the aviation sector. Would that be fair?
Chair, Security and Facilitation Subcommittee, National Airlines Council of Canada
Yes.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Thank you.
We have a point of order, but before that, unless it's in relation to our guests, I would thank them for their participation today. It has been very valuable information. Thank you very much. Please feel free to visit or move out.
Now I'm going to go to Ms. Crombie on a point of order.
Liberal
Bonnie Crombie Liberal Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
We have been advised or informed that Toyota is alleging that the documents sent to us from Transport Canada are incomplete and that there are certain documents that would assist us in putting perspective into...complete information, shall we say. So I am going to request that the clerk write to Toyota Canada or to Transport Canada and request that the missing documents be sent forthwith to the committee.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Okay. We will ask that they send the committee the complete documentation, translated.
Mr. Bevington, same point?
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
No, it's just a request. We had some indication that a review of aviation security was done. Are we going to get a copy of that report? That was indicated at a previous meeting. I'll have to go back in the records to get the exact reference.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
--it's in one of the documents that was submitted a couple of meetings ago. But definitely there was mention of a document that we should look at.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Merv Tweed
Okay.
Any other comments?
All right. The meeting is adjourned.
Oh, I'm sorry, although we've adjourned, I'll mention that we are going to La Pocatière. The schedules will be sent out to you if you'd said yes. It's on May 25, the Tuesday when we come back from the break week.
Mr. Bevington.
NDP
Dennis Bevington NDP Western Arctic, NT
I'm just trying to confirm the NDP participation. It may be Mr. Rafferty.