Fee or tax? Tories hike security toll for flyers
The Conservative Government applies a "user pay" philosophy to air travellers but is against helping provincial and municipal governments apply "user pay" to road travellers.
By BRUCE CAMPION-SMITH
OTTAWA–Despite its vow of no new taxes, the federal Conservative government is hitting passengers with a 50 per cent hike in aviation security fees to pay for costly new investments in screening staff and equipment at Canadian airports.
Warning that Canadian travellers may still face risks, Transport Minister John Baird announced Thursday that extra investments were needed to protect commercial flights from terrorists – and that passengers will be paying the price.
"Our government believes that the cost should be borne by those who use the service, not by Canadian taxpayers," Baird told a news conference at Ottawa International Airport.
Fees now range from $5 to $17, depending on a flight's destination. The changes, effective April 1, will add $2.58 to the price of a one-way domestic ticket; $4.37 for a flight to the United States and $8.91 to an international ticket.
Coinciding with the extra fees is a $1.5 billion investment in aviation security over five years, Baird said.
"This increase, which is like the cost of earphones or a pillow in some cases, is necessary to protect air travellers from the threats of terrorism." Baird said.
But opposition critics immediately accused the Conservatives of breaking their oft-made pledge not to raise taxes.
"A tax is a tax is a tax," said New Democrat finance critic Thomas Mulcair (Outremont), calling Baird's airport announcement one week before the budget a bald-faced "communications effort."
"If Baird can get away with putting lipstick on this pig, then they figure maybe next week they can announce a whole bunch of new tariffs and fees and say that they haven't raised taxes, they've just raised tariffs and fees?"
Airport security was dramatically boosted after the 9/11 terrorist hijackings and heightened again after the foiled bombing of a Detroit-bound jet on Christmas Day.
That last incident sparked another round of tighter security and prompted Ottawa to buy sophisticated, but costly, full-body scanners for major airports nationwide.