Question to the Minister of Transport on Airline Security

November 22, 2007 - Mr. Mervin Tweed (Brandon—Souris, CPC):    Mr. Speaker, the American secure flight program proposes that airlines flying over U.S. territory provide American authorities with passenger lists. As part of the consultation process, the Government of Canada's deadline to submit its official comments to the U.S. was yesterday.

Can the Minister of Transport tell the House what his response was to the U.S. government?

Hon. Lawrence Cannon (Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada did respond to the United States and we urged the U.S. to exempt all Canadian overflights. 

 In our official comments to the U.S. government we stressed the need to measure threat and risk, recognize existing security initiatives such as passenger protection, and we have stressed the value of privacy and individual rights.

There are excellent security grounds for the proposed security flight program to exempt all flights to and from and within Canada that overfly the United States. In fact, the U.S. already exempts more than 75% of domestic flights from Canada that overfly the United States.