12. DARIEN FENTON (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
What recent reports has he received about concerns with transport systems?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) Link to this
I receive many, many reports in the transport area, some of which highlight ways in which our transport systems can be improved. For example, in response to an earlier question I referred to the KiwiRAP report, which I launched this morning. Another example is the briefing that I received yesterday from the Civil Aviation Authority in regard to a television story showing security issues with airline electronic checking procedures. I am pleased to report to the House that the airlines are taking immediate steps to rectify those problems, and the Civil Aviation Authority is currently following that up to ensure it is satisfied with those corrective actions.
Does the Minister have concerns about the Civil Aviation Authority statement that having someone check in bags without boarding the plane in the TV3 sting was the most worrying aspect of the incident, and why was the Minister not aware of this potential security breach?
I think it is safe to say that just about everybody who uses the transport system was unaware of this potential security breach. My role has been to ensure that the breach, once recognised, was acted on very quickly, and I have ensured that that is the case. The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for improving the security arrangements with airlines, and it has been working with the airlines since this issue came to light in the last couple of days. My understanding is that a corrective action will be in place very soon.
Can the Minister confirm to the House that the journalist who checked herself in using his name referred to herself as Joyce Stephen; if so, has he encountered this sort of confusion before?