ARCHIVED - Enhancing Security for Canadians
Transcript of the Minister's video presentation

Canadians are facing a new threat.

The September 11th terrorist attacks aimed not only to take lives, but to threaten livelihoods.

By attacking our personal safety, terrorists attempt to rob us of our economic security.

We cannot - and will not - allow this to happen.

That's why Budget 2001 provides $7.7 billion for enhanced security for Canadians -- this includes $6.5 billion for security, including air security and the military, and $1.2 billion to make our borders more secure open and efficient.

The best security is built on the best information.

That's why Budget 2001 provides $1.6 billion over the next five years to improve intelligence and policing.

It also includes measures that will improve controls at all points of entry into our country.

The budget invests $1 billion over the next five years to improve the screening of the thousands of individuals who - every day - seek entry to our land.

And while we can do much to keep terrorists out, no system is foolproof.

That's why this budget also commits substantial funding to enhance emergency preparedness...

...more than $1.6 billion over the next five years to help ensure that if an act of terror does occur, the Government can respond quickly and effectively.

These are substantial investments in the safety of Canadians, but they are not the only ones.

To keep air travel safe, this Government is creating a new federal authority to provide air security in accordance with rigorous new standards set by Transport Canada.

Among other initiatives, it will provide armed undercover police on board foreign and domestic flights...

...and it will enforce thorough screening of passengers and their luggage by better trained staff.

Budget 2001 will also pay for new, secure cockpit doors that cannot be breached by hijackers.

Together these and other air security measures represent an investment of $2.2 billion through the next five years.

These measures will be financed through a new Air Travellers Security Charge to be paid by airline passengers starting April 1st, 2002.

One of the greatest challenges addressed in Budget 2001 is a challenge faced by both Canada and our neighbour to the south.

Bottlenecks at the Canada-U.S. border show us that the old ways of managing traffic between our two nations are no longer good enough.

Budget 2001 invests more than $1.2 billion in measures to create a border that is open for business but closed to terror.

As part of this investment, $600 million will go to improve the infrastructure - the highways, inspection facilities and technology - that supports major border crossings.

These initiatives - $1.2 billion for borders, and almost $6.5 billion over the next five years for security - represent a substantial investment.

To learn more about these and other initiatives in Budget 2001, please explore this website.