The 9/11 terrorists all passed through the US private screening process, which is almost identically staffed, trained and equipped as the Guarda service in Canada. They passed through with weaponry in their carry-on bags. This would not, and has never, successfully taken place on an Israeli aircraft. When I left Tel Aviv airport every single bag, both carry-on and checked was opened, x-rayed, and inspected in detail, while MOSSAD agents conducted 5-10 minute personal interviews with every passenger in line. Lastly, every El Al plane is highjack proof - you stand up with a knife and you'll be quickly dispatched by the 2-3 armed MOSSAD guys on-board every flight.
The context is different and could never be pulled off here. First off, Israel essentially has one large international airport to secure. Canada has several. Next, El Al, for reasons of Israel's history is essentially a state managed airline. It has armed air marshalls on-board. It's aircraft are equipped with Missile Approach Warning Systems (MAWS), electronic warfare kit, etc. El Al also conducts their own security for flights at foreign stations (like at Pearson). This of course, is largely because El Al is targeted far more than other airlines.
The threat isn't the same. The context isn't the same. And quite frankly we don't have the resources to put air marshalls on every flight.
We don't even have the resources to intercept airliners heading towards Toronto without prior warning. Baggottville with the alert Hornets is over 30 mins away on full burner (which means the birds arrive over TO with almost no gas to stay on station). And the tankers to support them are based in Trenton and would take hours to get going. This is why Downsview is such a necessary airfield. It gives the Hornets an emergency forward operating base when there are threats towards Toronto.
Anyway, all that is to say that we don't have the resources to secure every flight. We have too many flights and our country is too big to do that. There will have to be risk management.
Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither...
While in general I agree, that phrase was also coined in an era where the responsibilities of citizenship included communal defence (often through military service). That context should be kept in mind. Today people either want security through infringing on everybody's freedoms or they want liberty at risk to the lives of others.
I don't think having Federal employees manage out-going passenger, luggage and cargo is equal to the Stasi. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority is already responsible for these tasks - I just don't like that they out-source it to an outside firm. Let's just make CATSA hire, train and be responsible for air travel security, minus the out-sourced underpaid staffers.
I agree with this. I have always had an issue with security outfits that outsource. And the CATSA employees while better paid than most security guards, are hardly a professional outfit. This is the government cheapening out though. They don't want to create another public service union-monopoly. And that's why they are avoiding insourcing CATSA's employees. Heaven forbid we have an incident. But if we do, I am certain this cheap labour mentality will be revealed for the threat that it is.
I'm not sure why one assumes that a government agency is going to do a better job.
Higher training standards. Tighter screening. Better pay (ie. less likely for employees to be corruptible). CATSA is just security window dressing. In reality, they should be as trained and as professional as a police service if you want real security.
Look at the RCMP, and how incompetent they are. I can't imagine an agency with a worse reputation. I'm sure a private agency could do a far more professional job, and kill less innocent people.
Nonsense. The RCMP has made mistakes to be sure. And they should rightly be criticized and investigated for them. But suggesting they are incompetent as a force is akin to suggesting the TTC is incompetent as a transit service because a few bus drivers were caught napping or taking extended breaks.
Anyway, this isn't a discussion about the RCMP. CATSA is a standalone agency with a mandate to secure air transport. The debate is whether they should be outsourcing the job or doing it themselves. And that should not be related to how any other federal agency or service performs.
You are right that private agencies could provide better security. But the private agencies that CATSA hires aren't better. That's reality. The rent-a-cops are scarcely better than mall security guards in my opinion. Mind you, they are still a lot better than the TSA in the US. Personal, I'm with Admiral on this. I'd like to see them brought in-house and turned into a proper professional service. I don't care if it costs more and they have to be paid more. Securing airliners filled with hundreds of people should not be left to poorly trained, low-skilled, underpaid workers.