[. . . .]The holes in border watch lists are especially troubling. If border agents don't have up-to-date information about who to watch for, it is hard to see how they are supposed to prevent terrorists from entering the country. Yet from June to mid-October last year, to take just one example, no updates were made to immigration records. When the updates were finally entered, 8,000 suspected terrorists were added to the watch list. What if some of those suspects tried to enter the country during those months?

The Auditor-General found that the Immigration Department often does not even add suspects flagged on Interpol's public website to its watch list. After checking, she found that 27 per cent of Interpol's "recent" notices were not on the list. [. . . .]

Then there is the question of fingerprinting. Ms. Fraser found serious delays in the processing of fingerprints, resulting in backlogs that could affect the screening of possible terrorists.

Current border watch lists. Good airport security. Up-to-date fingerprint records. As Ms. Fraser put it at a news conference yesterday, "these are basic things." Ottawa is not providing them, and Canadians are less safe as a result.

At a time when the country is focusing on the sponsorship scandal, it is useful to be reminded that a government's most basic function is defending the security of citizens. Fixing our security net is quite literally a matter of life and death. Ottawa should take Ms. Fraser's critique seriously and get to work.