That’s the verdict of a report by the Senate national security and defence committee, released yesterday at a press conference in Ottawa by Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, the chair of the committee.

Among the committee’s 16 recommendations:

• transferring responsibility for airport security to the Department of Public Safety from Transport Canada;
• recruiting 600 to 800 new RCMP officers with specific responsibility for airport security;
• drastically increasing regular checks on the airport workers who have access to aircraft, baggage and cargo; and
• making bullet-proof cockpit doors mandatory for aircraft in Canada.

The report is the committee’s second since January 2003. The first report, titled The Myth of Security at Canadian Airports, highlighted many of the same concerns, particularly background checks for airport workers and levels of policing at many airports.

According to the new report, little progress has been made.

"The committee would like to assure the public that the numerous gaps that remain are being treated with some degree of urgency by government," the 2007 report says. "But we cannot."

Kenny told reporters that the RCMP had told Senators that organized crime was present at all major airports in the country, and criminals had access to the secure zone at airports where employees can board aircraft or handle baggage and cargo before it is loaded.

Yet the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority’s random security checks on airport employees were made on approximately two per cent of staff daily. The committee recommended that all airport workers be searched when they arrive at work and at least 10 per cent when they leave for the day.

Canada has 89 "designated" airports where Ottawa handles security measures, the committee says, but there are other airports in major cities where there is little or no security.

Kenny told reporters that Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon and Transport Canada have proved to be ineffective in their handling of airport security.

“These guys are a dead loss,” he said. “That's why this committee has recommended that Transport Canada be removed from this responsibility.”

Responding to the Senate report, Cannon said his department was reviewing the committee’s findings and would act accordingly.