Politicians go undercover at airport

TORONTO, April 2 (UPI) -- Two federal Canadian politicians say they went undercover and exposed security flaws at Toronto's international airport by wandering around unchecked.

Conservative Transport Minister John Baird and Liberal Sen. Colin Kenny told The Globe and Mail they were shocked at how easy it was for them to wander around secure areas, including the tarmac, last Sunday without being questioned by anyone.

The men arranged for plainclothes Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers to shadow them as they spoke with baggage handlers and fuel truck operators, the report said.

Baird said he was perturbed at how easy it was for them to move around freely.

"What I saw was unacceptable," he told The Globe and Mail. "There will be changes based on what I saw."

Kenny said the only time he was challenged was by a pilot who asked him to stop taking photos of his aircraft.

Scott Armstrong, a spokesman for the airport authority, told the newspaper the law permits the transport minister free access to all areas in airports and as Kenny was a guest of the Mounties, they were obliged to monitor his activities.