Statement made on 11 February 2009 by Senator Terry Mercer
Hon. Terry M. Mercer:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. It was recently reported that the new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, requested a directive on a northern border strategy, which she should receive this week, on concerns such as border crossings and vulnerabilities.
With almost $1 million crossing the border every minute between Canada and the U.S., the directive should be a concern for Canada-U.S. relations. We have heard that for the first time in 30 years we are in a trade deficit with the U.S. Minister Day sloughed that information off as a problem relating to the slumping U.S. economy.
What is this government doing to protect Canada's interests concerning border screening and pre-clearance issues?
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