Liberals urge patience on no-fly fixes

OTTAWA • Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says the government is working to resolve airport hassles children face due to security snags — and passing a federal bill now before Parliament is the first step.

Families from the group known as the No Fly List Kids came to Ottawa to make their case to MPs and ministers Monday with the aim of ensuring that funding for a new computer system to fix the problem is included in the 2018 federal budget.

Parents of children who have repeatedly endured nerve-racking airport delays because a youngster’s name matches one on a no-fly list say the federal legislation will do nothing in the short term to ease their woes.

The government is proposing an amendment to the Secure Air Travel Act that would allow the public safety minister to tell parents that their child is not on the Canadian no-fly list, meaning the name simply matches that of someone who is actually listed. The government says this would provide assurance to parents about their child’s status.

The legislation, part of a broad package of securityrelated measures, would also allow federal officials to electronically screen air passenger information against the list, a process currently in the hands of airlines. The government says this would prevent false name matches. But it also means creating a new computer system.

Goodale said Monday the overall solution entails passing the legislation, enacting regulations and building the computer system from the ground up.

“It is a complicated process, sadly. The mistake was made several years ago when this thing was set up in a backwards fashion,” he said.“We’ve got to change the system and that’s what we’re working on.”

Families were disappointed funds for the new system did not turn up in the last federal budget and they’re beginning to lose patience.

“This is a technical problem that requires a technical solution,” said Sulemaan Ahmed, whose son Adam, 8, has been held up many times before boarding a flight.

“The families are not willing to wait longer for more excuses.”

In June 2016 the government created an inquiries office to help resolve travellers’ problems. But the No Fly List Kids group, which now includes more than 100 youngsters, says the difficulties persist.

“Every time we fly it happens,” said Heather Harder of London, Ont., whose son Sebastian, 3, has been repeatedly flagged.

“My family is from Saskatchewan. And so we go back to visit them fairly often. Every leg of the trip we’re stopped,” she said Monday after a news conference.