No-fly list fix overdue

EDITORIAL: WHAT OTHERS THINK

The problem of falsely flagging innocent individuals with names identical or similar to people seen as security threats has long plagued Canada’s decade-old no-fly list.

Yet Ottawa has done little to date to help, for example, families with even young children whose “suspicious” names cause interminable delays while travelling.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s department tried to get funding for a fix — a new $61-million computer system, reportedly — in last year’s budget but, according to news reports, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s department said no.

Amendments to the Secure Air Travel Act now before Parliament would start the process of correcting the situation, Goodale says. Among other things, Bill C59 would allow federal officials, instead of airlines, to electronically screen air passenger information against the no-fly list. They’d issue unique redress numbers to falsely-flagged individuals that would provide accepted preflight verification of their identity.

That’s fine, but since building a computer system to do that could take over a year — and funding in the 2018 budget is not certain — critics say more must be done immediately. They’re right.

Surely, until this system is up and running (assuming the amendments pass, as expected), Goodale’s department can come up with an interim identifier or document for those affected to use when travelling by air.

Those protesting are also worried Ottawa has so far given no answers to another serious issue — that names on Canada’s list shared with other nations could lead to innocent Canadians abroad being mistakenly detained, or even worse, tortured.

Critics suggest, perhaps not without justification, that their Charter rights are being violated.

Air travel security is important. But we need to do a better job of ensuring innocent people aren’t repeatedly suffering due to mistaken identity.

An editorial from the Halifax Chronicle Herald (distributed by The Canadian Press)