Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to know that the transport minister is ready and willing to accept constructive criticism because he will receive a great deal of it.
In the United States, Senator Ernest Hollings from South Carolina introduced back in September comprehensive airport and air security legislation. Inside of eight weeks that legislation was introduced in the senate, passed through the house of representatives, passed the United States senate, was signed by President Bush on Tuesday of this week and is now law in the United States.
It has been over 10 weeks since the terrorist attacks and this government is just now tabling airport security legislation in the House. The actual launch, frankly, was done rather poorly. The legislation will be noted more for what it does not have in it than what it does have. If we look at a comparison of what the Americans did relative to what the Canadian government has now proposed, it is astonishing how weak and hollow the legislation is.
The American legislation is broken down into four categories: security on flight decks; air marshals; airport security; and other provisions that are a hodgepodge of a whole bunch of regulatory changes that it thought to put in place. It should be noted that almost none of the changes that took place in the United States, which were done on a bipartisan basis and which were widely and well received by the air security industry on this continent, find themselves anywhere in this legislation.
The Americans have strengthened cockpit doors and prohibited access. The government has regulated but not mandated that. The Americans have allowed less than lethal weapons to be available to flight crews, but that is nowhere in this legislation. They have created the opportunity so that pilots may carry firearms. While the government may not support that, that provision is in law so that down the road, should things continue to escalate in the war on terrorism, it is prepared for that.
In the United States, qualified persons may help in the case of a crisis on a plane. It has given them the legal authority to do so. We do not have that power. It is not in this legislation. The United States has allowed for specific training for flight and cabin crews to deal with hijackers. It is not in this legislation.
The U.S. is putting air marshals on all high risk flights. That is not seen anywhere in this legislation. The government continues to drag its feet on the issue of air marshals even though more than 80% of Canadians support the idea. It has created a provision to expand the air marshal program to fly on more flights. Again, it is not in this legislation.
With regard to airport security, all passengers, property, baggage, mail and cargo will now be screened in the United States. That provision is not in this legislation. All persons with access to aircraft, including foreign aircraft, must get security clearance unless they already have one. That is in the American legislation but not in this legislation.
The Americans have penalties for interfering with airport security screeners but it is not in this legislation. They have an aviation security co-ordination council that co-ordinates intelligence, security and criminal enforcement activities. That is now a law in the United States but is not in Canada's legislation.
The Americans have computer assisted passenger pre-screening system calls CAPPS, a comprehensive databank to allow for the screening of passengers and people who are potential threats, which is to say profiling of people who have been engaged in criminal activity in Canada and other countries. That is now law in the United States but is not in Canada's legislation.
Also now in law in the United States is that foreigners cannot learn to fly jets unless background checks are done first. That is not in Canada's legislation. Foreigners cannot buy, lease or charter an aircraft unless the background check is done. That is law in the United States but is not in Canada's legislation.
The federal government is obliged to test security and evaluate new and emerging technologies. That is law in the United States but is not in Canada's legislation. The United States also has a computer reservation system that has now secured new regulations to protect the software from any kind of hacking. That is law in the United States but is not in Canada's regulation.
The United States has comprehensive legislation which is very well thought out. When people travel to the United States now, as the transport minister and Canadians know, it is visible and obvious to the naked eye that comprehensive security measures have been taken at airports. As such, the ancillary benefit is that there is a boost in consumer confidence in the United States. It made a clear note to pass the legislation before today, which is the American Thanksgiving, so that people would have the confidence to fly.
We are approaching the Christmas season but this legislation will not be passed until well into 2002. That is not leadership on behalf of the transport minister. We need real measures.
This morning we had a briefing. It should be noted specifically in the legislation that a lot of the powers outlined by the transport minister are interim measures. The legislation is riddled with words like the minister may administer this, the minister may provide this and the minister may restrict this. These are not real powers given to the minister. These are not real new legislative tools that would implemented.
“The government has responded quickly” was the quote the transport minister used. The fact is that over 10 weeks after the incident happened, we are just now getting legislation, legislation that is wimpy and legislation that will not encourage Canadians to fly more. These measures are half measures.
The government has failed to respond quickly. It has failed to act decisively. The legislation will go to the transport committee. I am looking forward to participating at committee to make sure there are real provisions for airport security, that we have comprehensive tools that are real, visible and permanently entrenched facets of airport security and that they are then put in power so Canadians will have confidence to fly again.
If the legislation passes as is, it will be seen for what it is; a wimpy piece of legislation that fails to do what Canadians want, which is to have the best security regime possible in this country.