Transport Canada says no new incidents or intelligence information prompted its security branch to send a "vigilance" notice to airlines, airports and the federal agency in charge of airport screening a week ago—contradicting statements by Transport Minister John Baird and Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan.

The statements from the two ministers, claiming the government was of aware of new information about potential terrorist activity, appear also to have diverged from security assessments at the time by the Transportation Security Administration in the United States.

Opposition MPs say the contradiction suggests the government attempted to exaggerate or exploit what the department described to The Hill Times as a "regular" response in reaction to the Dec. 25 attempt by a Nigerian man to ignite explosive material aboard a Northwest Airlines flight shortly before it landed in Detroit.

Mr. Baird (Ottawa West-Nepean, Ont.) and Mr. Van Loan (York-Simcoe, Ont.) made the contradictory statements last Tuesday, Jan. 12, after CTV News broadcast a report about the security notice the previous evening. The network said the bulletin had been issued because intelligence reports from Canadian, British, and U.S. sources and officials suggested terrorists were planning to enter Canada to make their way to the United States.

Earlier in the day of the CTV report, the Prime Minister's Office without explanation emailed a silent video of what the email said was Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta.) engaged in a national security briefing from Mr. Van Loan, Defence Minister Peter MacKay (Central Nova, N.S.), Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon (Pontiac, Que.) and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson (Niagara Falls, Ont.). The PMO did not say when the briefing had taken place.

Radio news reporter Brian Lilley, who conducted a feature interview with Prime Minster Harper in his Centre Block corner office that afternoon said he saw Mr. Van Loan entering Mr. Harper's office as he left. The Business News Network had also interviewed Prime Minister Harper that day, but in the larger Cabinet room nearby on the same floor.

The CTV report that night sparked a "large volume" of requests for interviews with Mr. Van Loan the next day, his office said in a statement as it called a hasty news conference with less than a half-hour's notice in the House of Commons foyer. Mr. Van Loan confirmed the security notice, and said it had been issued because the Dec. 25 incident may have been a "pilot project" by an al-Qaeda group planning a series of attacks. He said there was no specific threat against Canada but a "synthesis" of information led to the notice.

"We're dealing with kind of a new approach with the technology that was used on Christmas Day that may very well have been, if you will, a kind of pilot project by the organization to see how viable it was. We have reason to believe that we have to be concerned, all the countries of the West, us and our allies, about seeing similar incidents like this," Mr. Van Loan said.

Mr. Baird responded to the media questions that Tuesday during a news conference about government stimulus spending in Toronto. News reports quoted him as saying his department had issued the notice because "of two or three new pieces of information we received over the weekend, which concerned us. This is not 9/11, but the information we have received is of concern and we need to have heightened vigilance."

But a spokesperson for Transport Canada told The Hill Times the department's safety and security branch issued the notice, on Saturday, Jan. 9, as part of the response to the Dec. 25 incident on the Northwest Airlines flight, and as a reminder to continue the "increased vigilance" and new security measures the government announced after the incident. Canada will introduce controversial full-body scans at all major airports as well as earlier passenger behavioural screening in airports. Following the incident, stiff new restrictions on carry-on baggage and body-pat searches took effect immediately.

"It is basically part of our regular business, or response, following an incident," said Maryse Durette, a senior adviser with the department's media relations office. "We issued notices in the past as part of our regular business and it's just to make sure that all players are on the same page."

Asked directly what caused Transport Canada to issue the notice, Ms. Durette replied: "This is the events of Dec. 25. Since those events, the government of Canada has taken some steps relating to air security in order to mitigate the identified threats, so as part of all the steps taken, Transport Canada sent that security notice asking that all carriers, aerodrome operators and CATSA (Canadian Air Transport Security Authority) screening officers continue to exercise increased vigilance and strictly adhere to all aviation security requirements. It is part of our regular business and it demonstrates that we take our role seriously, helping to assure the safety and security of the public."

She said the department issued three similar notices in 2009 and, when asked to confirm there had been no new information prior to the notice and it was one of the occasional vigilance reminders, Ms. Durette replied: "Yeah."

The notice, a copy of which Ms. Durette emailed to The Hill Times, is in bold black letters with an underlined title at the top: "CONTINUED INCREASED VIGILANCE."

"In light of the incident on Northwest flight 253 on Christmas Day and the continued investigation thereof, Transport Canada requests that all air carriers, aerodrome operators and CATSA screening officers continue to exercise increased vigilance and strict adherence to all aviation security requirements," the notice says.

"The Government of Canada takes this matter very seriously and, at this point, the department is satisfied that the additional security measures implemented since Dec. 26, 2009, are appropriate to mitigate the identified threat. The Department asks that you continue your efforts to ensure the security of the aviation system. We will monitor this situation closely and will advise as further information becomes available."

NDP MP Paul Dewar (Ottawa South, Ont.) said it appears the government may have exaggerated the threat either as an attempt to deflect attention from the public outcry over its decision to suspend Parliament until March, or to justify airport delays and searches. The focus on terrorism was eclipsed later that same day when the earthquake hit Haiti

"It's a classic case of trying to change the channel," said Mr. Dewar, who warned if Mr. Baird and Mr. Van Loan exaggerated the security risk, it could become a classic case of the boy who cried wolf when there was none.

"The problem is, it's not working, but it's also very serious," Mr. Dewar said. "If you've got a real concern about security and you're telling Canadians that as a government and as a minister, you're issuing concerns about the safety of Canadians, you darn well better have a real reason for that. Otherwise, the next time you do it, people won't believe you."

The Liberal Party said the government has a responsibility to be honest and open with Canadians about the level of security risk the public faces.

"We're very concerned about ensuring public safety and any measures that will protect Canadian travellers," said Liberal MP Mark Holland (Ajax-Pickering, Ont.). "If there is new information, the government should, and indeed has the responsibility to be clear and upfront about that information. Canadians trust that the information their government provides them is authentic and reliable; there is absolutely no room for politics in dealing with serious security concerns like this."

The U.S. Transportation Security Administration told The Hill Times U.S. security alert levels had not changed from Dec. 25, when Nigerian citizen Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was subdued by passengers and attendants as he attempted to ignite an explosive material on the Northwest Airlines flight, to late last week.

"The National Threat Level [in the airline sector] remains at Orange, as it was before Dec. 25, 2009," said Sterling Payne, a spokesperson for the agency. The colour orange under the U.S. system designates a "high" threat level.

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