Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago I asked the Minister of Transport to explain how spending tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on state of the art detection equipment for major airports would enhance safety for the travelling public when many smaller airports do not even have basic x-ray equipment. Passengers travelling through these smaller airports arrive on the secure side of the minister's fancy new equipment.
His answer was that travellers from these smaller airports are rerouted through security at the larger airports. That is untrue. The minister either intentionally misled the House or he is imply incompetent.
I pursued this matter at adjournment proceedings where I had the opportunity to expand on my question and seek a more detailed and hopefully more accurate answer.
The minister obviously thinks so little of the safety of the travelling public that he did not even send his parliamentary secretary. He sent the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health who, if possible, knows even less about airport security than the transport minister.
Perhaps the Prime Minister should make airport security the responsibility of the immigration minister, a portfolio where Canadians have learned to expect incompetence.