Mr. Speaker, all I can think of is that the member must misunderstand the situation.
I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the comments made by the hon. member for Davenport regarding secure flight, a proposed United States aviation security program that would ask air carriers flying within the United States and over the United States to provide basic data on passengers. I would ask that he listen to that sentence again: that would ask air carriers flying within the United States and over the United States to provide basic data on passengers.
International law establishes the right of every state, including Canada, to control its borders, including its airspace, and determine security requirements related to entry by land or by air into its territory. The proposed United States program exists within this context in its air space.
The proposed program applies to all overflights, not only those from Canada. The principle that each state, including Canada, controls its own border and airspace is one worth respecting since we, as a sovereign state, want to keep those rights intact for us, for our families, for all of us.
How are we to respond to a proposed program that, while consistent with international law, raises issues of concern?
Instead of trying to oppose established international principles and law, we are working with the United States to mitigate any negative impacts that the proposed program would have on Canadian travellers or Canadian businesses.
Developing comparable aviation security programs that respect each country's laws and citizens, including passenger protect, a made in Canada solution that this government launched last June, has helped to achieve an exemption of 80% of Canadian flights from the proposed rule.
We are in discussions now with the United States on the remaining 20%.
If it turns out that any Canadian flight will be captured by the rule, and remember that this is a proposed rule not a final one, it will be important to focus on the collection, use and disposal of personal information for air travellers.
It will be important that people know and agree to share their personal information and that they will know the objective of requesting it and how it will be handled. It is an issue of safety and national security.
In security matters, as in many other sectors that relate to the United States, this government is standing up for Canada in a way that respects international law, protects privacy and contributes to productive relations with a key neighbour and trading partner.
Any other course of action would be counterproductive and contrary to Canadian interests and Canadian law.