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On Tuesday, Senator Colin Kenny, the Liberal who chairs the Senate's national security committee, and Transportation Minister John Baird paid a visit to the Toronto airport to see for themselves what level of security was enforced. Both gentlemen had previously received security passes to enter the area, but the passes went unchecked.

The senator donned an orange traffic vest and carried a clipboard, ID cards and hotel room keys. Transportation Minister Baird appeared wearing a windbreaker and baseball cap. Joining the two politicians were four plainclothes RCMP officers.

The party of six entered the tarmac from a public roadway with an open door.

"I pointed out to him a number of places where you could go straight off the road," said Mr. Kenny, keeping precise details secret.

"I simply got out, tried a couple of doors ... The second door I tried opened."

The security passes given by the GTAA went unchecked. "The pass was irrelevant to getting on the tarmac," Mr. Kenny said.

The politicians visited with baggage handlers and fuellers while on the tarmac.

"No one stopped us. No one asked for a pass," said Mr. Kenny in an interview. "It's not mischievous, it's due diligence."

“What I saw simply is unacceptable. And if the Toronto Airport Authority doesn't share that view, that causes me even more concern. I'll be meeting with them next week but their reaction today is unacceptable."

Asked specifically what he found to be unacceptable during his visit, he said: “The fact that there were doors that were unlocked and no security present which would allow anybody from the street to walk in.”

Toronto's airport authority has responded by pulling escort privileges from four airport Mounties.

Senator Kenny called the allegations of Mountie misconduct "nonsense" and a "red herring."

"The GTAA has decided the best defence is an offence, and if they can offload it onto the cops, it will distract people from the fact they are doing a lousy job," said Mr. Kenny.

"The Mounties are doing a terrific job, when you look at the amount of contraband they seized," said Mr. Kenny, who was also given a tour of the drug-seizure warehouse on Sunday. He added that "the Minister has shown a remarkable amount of interest in this."

But he added the GTAA "should pull up its socks."

Mr. Baird said the GTAA's reaction is unacceptable and that he intends to meet with airport officials next week.

“It's never good to blame the messenger,” he told reporters Thursday afternoon.

Yesterday, Mr. Baird expressed exasperation.

"Look at the expense, time and energy we've put into shaking down passengers for their toothpaste and hair gel," he said. "I think we have to look at other priorities as well."

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