Letters to the Editor

2005

November 1, 2005

The Globe and Mail
Edward Greenspon, Editor-in-chief
444 Front Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 2S9

Dear Mr. Greenspon,

I am writing in reference to the editorial published on November 1, 2005 entitled Uneasy at the Border.

The Canada Border Services Agency has developed a Border Management Plan to assist managers in focusing on high-risk shipments and individuals as we ensure the safety and security of Canadian citizens, our number one priority. The plan is reviewed annually using intelligence, threat analysis, and local knowledge.

Managers use that information as a guideline to determine how to deploy their resources, based on when and where there is greater risk. The plan provides a framework for field operations, not quotas. At no time would it override a response to an immediate or emerging high risk or threat. Moreover, the Canada Border Services Agency has always encouraged examinations of intelligence-based targeted high-risk shipments.

Executive bonus pay is based on performance, consistent with Government of Canada rules and is not tied to any quota systems.

I trust the foregoing clarifies any misconceptions of how the Canada Border Services Agency manages our country's borders.

Sincerely yours,

Barbara Hébert
Vice President, Operations
Canada Border Services Agency