Arch Bevis (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Aviation and Transport Security) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question without notice is to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. I refer the minister to the alleged involvement of an airport employee in the plan to detonate liquid explosives aboard aircraft departing Heathrow for the United States. Can the minister confirm that in Australia more than 380 aviation security identification cards have been lost or stolen? Can the minister assure the House that the theft or loss of these identification cards has not compromised the safety of the travelling public?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The introduction of the new aviation security identification cards has been a very substantial exercise which is now largely complete. Tens of thousands of cards have been required to be issued. We have had good cooperation from the airlines and the various airport authorities in implementing this substantial improvement in the security regime at our airports around the country. It is inevitable in any system that there will be a very small error rate, and in this particular instance you have identified a small number.

In reality, it is an offence not to report those losses. They are individually followed up to ensure that, where a lost card occurs, it can be quickly identified and cancelled so that there is no risk of it being incorrectly used. But it is inevitable that, from time to time, cards will be lost and, therefore, you need to have in place appropriate mechanisms to deal with it. I am aware of some staff members and others in this place who lose their card from time to time and, therefore, attendants and others must chase them up and deal with the issues. We will have to do similar things in relation to aviation security, and there is an appropriate regime in place to deal with those occasional lost cards.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. Would the minister advise the House of the new security arrangements on all commercial flights between Australia and the United States? How long will these arrangements remain in place?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Transport and Regional Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Cowper for his question and recognise his interest in the safety of all Australians travelling around the world. Whilst the UK just a few hours ago reduced its assessment level from critical to severe in relation to the terrorism threat in the UK, the United States has maintained its level at high. As a result, there are requirements being placed on all international airlines, and passengers, operating into the United States. For instance, Australian passengers embarking on flights to the US are being asked to go through additional screening measures. They are not allowed to carry liquids or gels, of any size, through the screening point. That includes beverages, duty-free beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, toothpaste and other items of similar consistency. They can put these sorts of items in their luggage, and I would certainly encourage passengers who have any questions to talk to their airline, before they go to the airport, to make sure that the goods they are proposing to carry onto the aircraft will be allowed through security. Items excluded from the list of prohibited items include baby formulas and juice—if there is a baby or small child travelling with the passengers. Liquid medicines will need to be verified, so I would again encourage passengers to talk to their airlines and their doctors about what might be necessary to carry on flights of that nature.

I thank passengers, who I appreciate are being put to some inconvenience as a result of these extra measures. The measures are a requirement of the United States while their terrorism threat is high, and we need to do what we can to cooperate with them in ensuring that passengers travelling to and from the United States can do so in safety.