Airport security applies to everybody
EDITORIAL THE AUSTRALIAN
Airport security applies to everybody
11 April 2005
THAT foreign politicians are cross because they consider Australian airport security to be overzealous with regard to their august persons beggars belief. Since the September 11 atrocities the one group of people everybody should be delighted to see working by the book are the men and women charged with checking airline passengers. Yet Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Michael Somare is angry that Brisbane airport security staff wanted to check his shoes after he triggered a security alarm last month. Apparently Sir Michael considered this an affront to his dignity and a breach of diplomatic convention. So bad a breach in fact that there was talk of Papua New Guinea refusing to take Australian aid money in protest. And on Saturday The Weekend Australian revealed the Speaker of India’s parliament, Somnath Chatterjee, had cancelled a visit because he was insulted that Canberra had refused to waive security measures for him and his wife.
Sir Michael and the Speaker should both get a grip. Despite their high offices, they are not so mighty that the rules that apply to everybody else who travels on commercial flights in Australia do not apply to them. The essence of democracy is that no one is above the law and the foundation of security is that procedures are already followed. John Howard understands this and accepts being searched overseas. And if New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark was affronted when she was frisked for explosives at Sydney airport in November 2003 she did not show it. There was nil chance that Mrs Clark constituted a risk to her fellow passengers. But she was selected for a search before anybody involved recognised who she was, and once started the brief screening process was continued. The same rules that applied to her and Sir Michael should also apply to Mr Chatterjee, no matter how important he is, or thinks he is.
UN QUOTE
Sheep