Transport minister vows to work toward tighter port security

GATINEAU, Que. (CP) - Transport Minister Jean Lapierre described Canada's ports Friday as "sieves," adding the federal government must take measures to tighten security on the waterfront.

"It's clear that Canadian ports cannot remain sieves," he said during a speech to the Quebec Federation of Chambers of Commerce.

"We have to tighten the screw."

Asked later to clarify his comments, the minister said he was only quoting from a 2002 Senate report that criticized port security.

Lapierre said he was disturbed by revelations about port security in the book The Road to Hell, in which Julian Sher and William Marsden chronicled how the Hells Angels took control of the nation's ports.

"It scared me," Lapierre said in an interview following the speech.

"I even bought a copy for my deputy minister. I think we have an enormous amount of work to do and we're aware of that."

The Liberal government plans to invest $114 million to install cameras and fences at ports. Ottawa has also said it would conduct background checks on port workers, a measure already taken with airport employees.

"I can't tell you it was particularly well-received," said the minister, referring to union charges that the checks violate workers' rights.

Lapierre also addressed security at airports and border crossings Friday, saying wait times and lineups were unacceptable.

The federal government pledged to spend $7.7 billion on security following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States but also said the mobility of goods and people would be maintained. Lapierre said that hasn't happened.

"Things cannot continue like this," he said. "We cannot have people waiting for hours and hours and missing flights because our system isn't running smoothly."

The former radio talk-show host suggested major airlines could be persuaded to hand out express passes to passengers who have been screened in advance.

Some truck drivers who frequently cross the Canada-U.S. border currently use such a system at land crossings.

"We must have a system that allows people who submit to a security check to have their iris scanned (prior to departure)," said Lapierre.

"The technology has now evolved to this point. You could perhaps be given a pass and you could move through quickly, without being searched."

Lapierre said the Transport Department has not yet studied his idea.